Sexual Behaviours and their Determinants among Adolescents Living with Hiv And Aids in Nairobi City County, Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Kinoti, Jesca K.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Adolescents living with HIV and AIDS just like the rest of the adolescents in the general population experience and express their sexuality which is mediated within a socio-cultural context. HIV and AIDS has the potential to significantly modify adolescents’ sexual behaviours for various reasons. The association between HIV and AIDS with sexual intercourse which is the common mode of HIV transmission among adults population renders the adolescents living with HIV and AIDS to be subjected to the same sexuality constrains as adults in as much as they may not have contracted HIV through sexual intercourse. Thus, as the adolescents’ living with HIV and AIDS handles their sexual lives, they still have to worry about; one having to disclose their HIV status to a potential partner, infecting their partners/spouse or a child, and are faced with stigma that generally compound living with HIV and AIDS. This study sought to examine; the sexual behaviours among adolescents living with HIV and AIDS, how HIV status disclosure influence sexual behaviours, how felt stigma influence sexual behaviours, and the nature of communication between adolescents and persons significant to their lives on sexuality and HIV and AIDS. The sexual scripting theory and life course perspective were the key theoretical foundations that guided this study. A cross-sectional research design was employed in the study which involved both quantitative and qualitative research approaches in data collection and analysis. The adolescents living with HIV and AIDS were identified through a community outreach programme, Lea Toto which was purposively selected. Simple random sampling was applied in the selection of a sample of 262 adolescents of which 255 were interviewed through face-to-face interviews. Key informant interviews were conducted with programme staff while the focus group discussions were conducted with caregivers of the adolescents. Quantitative data were analysed by the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, 21) while qualitative data were analysed using descriptions along thematic areas. The study findings show that adolescents were engaged in both passive (being attracted to a boy/a girl, being seduced and petting privacy) and active types (being in a relationship, seducing someone, and being engaged in sexual intercourse) of sexual behaviours. HIV status disclosure and felt stigma which are some of the key determinants that relate to living with HIV and AIDS were found to have a close association with engagement in types of sexual behaviours among adolescents. Communication on sexuality and HIV and AIDS between adolescents and persons to their lives (family members, peers in school, teachers, doctors who visited the school, and religious leaders) were found out to be low (below 30%) except with parents (61.8%). The key challenges that were linked to low communication were, issues of trust, fears of one being discovered that adolescents were HIV positive as well as fear of being stigmatized. In conclusions, this study shows that transitioning of sexual lives of the adolescents is compounded with HIV and AIDS. Adolescents are faced issues of handling HIV status disclose to partners and the experience of felt stigma. The key recommendation generated from this study was the need to re-examine the existing HIV primary prevention interventions that inform behaviours change communication in HIV programming with a view to addressing sexuality issues of adolescents living with HIV and AIDS
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology of Kenyatta University, September, 2021
Keywords
Sexual Behaviours, Determinants, Adolescents, Living with Hiv And Aids, Nairobi City County, Kenya