Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications
Communication of sexual matters between the parents and adolescents has been seen as one of the strategies that could play a cardinal role in encouraging adolescents to be responsible and delay sexual debut or avoid unprotected sexual intercourse. The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies and new H...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Light House Polyclinic Mangalore
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ojhas.org/issue75/2020-3-8.html |
| _version_ | 1818877938898042880 |
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| author | Douglas Nyathi Joram Ndlovu Keith Phiri Mxolisi Sibanda |
| author_facet | Douglas Nyathi Joram Ndlovu Keith Phiri Mxolisi Sibanda |
| author_sort | Douglas Nyathi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Communication of sexual matters between the parents and adolescents has been seen as one of the strategies that could play a cardinal role in encouraging adolescents to be responsible and delay sexual debut or avoid unprotected sexual intercourse. The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies and new HIV/AIDS infections among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa makes the phenomenon worth analysis. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the dynamics of parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health in Sub-Sahara. Specifically, the paper focuses on barriers to communication between parents and adolescents on sexual and reproductive health and its policy implications. It emanates from the paper that communication on sexual and reproductive health at household level is triggered by death of a relative from a sexual related illness, suspicion on sexual activity, radio programmes and in some instances fliers. Literature engagement reveals that communication between parents and adolescents on sexual and reproductive health is made difficult by economic factors (poverty, lack of privacy and low self-esteem), household demographics (age, sex, class, death), socio-cultural factors (beliefs and religious values) as well as social media. We argue that there is need to use broadcast media to come up with radio and television programmes that create family environments in which sexual and reproductive health issues are discussed. We also recommend that government departments and Non-Governmental Organisations concerned with sexuality issues need to undertake studies that can help dismantle taboos, prejudices and stereotypes that impede sexual and reproductive health communication between parents and adolescents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:06:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f727e3bbdea4857ac76f2702d0836d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0972-5997 0972-5997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:06:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Light House Polyclinic Mangalore |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f727e3bbdea4857ac76f2702d0836d22022-12-21T20:18:18ZengLight House Polyclinic MangaloreOnline Journal of Health & Allied Sciences0972-59970972-59972020-12-01193Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy ImplicationsDouglas Nyathi0Joram Ndlovu1Keith Phiri2Mxolisi Sibanda3School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College, Durban, Republic of South AfricaSchool of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College, Durban, Republic of South AfricaDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort Hare, 50 Church Street, East London, Republic of South AfricaDepartment of Development Studies, Lupane State University, Bulawayo, ZimbabweCommunication of sexual matters between the parents and adolescents has been seen as one of the strategies that could play a cardinal role in encouraging adolescents to be responsible and delay sexual debut or avoid unprotected sexual intercourse. The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies and new HIV/AIDS infections among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa makes the phenomenon worth analysis. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the dynamics of parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health in Sub-Sahara. Specifically, the paper focuses on barriers to communication between parents and adolescents on sexual and reproductive health and its policy implications. It emanates from the paper that communication on sexual and reproductive health at household level is triggered by death of a relative from a sexual related illness, suspicion on sexual activity, radio programmes and in some instances fliers. Literature engagement reveals that communication between parents and adolescents on sexual and reproductive health is made difficult by economic factors (poverty, lack of privacy and low self-esteem), household demographics (age, sex, class, death), socio-cultural factors (beliefs and religious values) as well as social media. We argue that there is need to use broadcast media to come up with radio and television programmes that create family environments in which sexual and reproductive health issues are discussed. We also recommend that government departments and Non-Governmental Organisations concerned with sexuality issues need to undertake studies that can help dismantle taboos, prejudices and stereotypes that impede sexual and reproductive health communication between parents and adolescents.https://www.ojhas.org/issue75/2020-3-8.htmlparent-adolescentcommunicationsexual and reproductive healthbarrierssub-sahara |
| spellingShingle | Douglas Nyathi Joram Ndlovu Keith Phiri Mxolisi Sibanda Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences parent-adolescent communication sexual and reproductive health barriers sub-sahara |
| title | Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications |
| title_full | Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications |
| title_fullStr | Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications |
| title_short | Dynamics of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Sahara: A Focus on Barriers and Policy Implications |
| title_sort | dynamics of parent adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health in sub sahara a focus on barriers and policy implications |
| topic | parent-adolescent communication sexual and reproductive health barriers sub-sahara |
| url | https://www.ojhas.org/issue75/2020-3-8.html |
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