ERIC Number: EJ1150659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-1811
EISSN: N/A
Young People's Perceptions of Relationships and Sexual Practices in the Abstinence-Only Context of Uganda
de Haas, Billie; Hutter, Inge; Timmerman, Greetje
Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v17 n5 p529-543 2017
The Ugandan government has been criticised on several grounds for its abstinence-only policies on sexuality education directed towards young people. These grounds include the failure to recognise the multiple realities faced by young people, some of whom may already be sexually active. In the study reported on this paper, students' perceptions of relationships and sexual practices were analysed to obtain an understanding of how young people construct and negotiate their sexual agency in the context of abstinence-only messages provided in Ugandan secondary schools and at the wider community level. Ten in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were conducted with students aged 15-19 years (N = 55) at an urban co-educational secondary school. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using grounded theory. Findings show that students engage in sexual activity despite their belief that contraception is ineffective and their fears for the consequences. Students' age, gender, financial capital and perceived sexual desire further increase risk and vulnerability. To improve their effectiveness, school-based sexuality education programmes should support students to challenge and negotiate structural factors such as gender roles and sociocultural norms that influence sexual practices and increase vulnerability and risk.
Descriptors: Sexuality, Sex Education, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Foreign Countries, Educational Policy, Educational Philosophy, Secondary School Students, Focus Groups, Grounded Theory, Contraception, Student Attitudes, Risk, Socioeconomic Status, Sex Role, Program Effectiveness, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Semi Structured Interviews, Qualitative Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Uganda
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A