Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk
Couple relationship functioning impacts individual health and well-being, including HIV risk, but scant research has focused on emic understandings of relationship quality in African populations. We explored relationship quality and satisfaction in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) using data from 148 i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2019-01-01
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| Series: | SAHARA-J |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2019.1604254 |
| _version_ | 1818837567997476864 |
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| author | Allison Ruark Edward C. Green Amy Nunn Caitlin Kennedy Alfred Adams Thandeka Dlamini-Simelane Pamela J. Surkan |
| author_facet | Allison Ruark Edward C. Green Amy Nunn Caitlin Kennedy Alfred Adams Thandeka Dlamini-Simelane Pamela J. Surkan |
| author_sort | Allison Ruark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Couple relationship functioning impacts individual health and well-being, including HIV risk, but scant research has focused on emic understandings of relationship quality in African populations. We explored relationship quality and satisfaction in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) using data from 148 in-depth interviews (117 life-course interviews with 28 adults and 31 interviews with 29 marriage counselors and their clients) and 4 focus group discussions. Love, respect, honesty, trust, communication, sexual satisfaction, and sexual faithfulness emerged as the most salient characteristics of good relationships, with both men and women emphasising love and respect as being most important. Participants desired relationships characterised by such qualities but reported relationship threats in the areas of trust, honesty, and sexual faithfulness. The dimensions of relationship quality identified by this study are consistent with research from other contexts, suggesting cross-cultural similarities in conceptions of a good relationship. Some relationship constructs, particularly respect, may be more salient in a Swazi context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:24:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da37984fcff94fd683569734f58adf26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1729-0376 1813-4424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:24:34Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAHARA-J |
| spelling | doaj.art-da37984fcff94fd683569734f58adf262022-12-21T20:37:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSAHARA-J1729-03761813-44242019-01-01161102410.1080/17290376.2019.16042541604254Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV riskAllison Ruark0Edward C. Green1Amy Nunn2Caitlin Kennedy3Alfred Adams4Thandeka Dlamini-Simelane5Pamela J. Surkan6Brown UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityBrown University School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, International HealthUniversity of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science ResearchUniversity of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science ResearchJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, International HealthCouple relationship functioning impacts individual health and well-being, including HIV risk, but scant research has focused on emic understandings of relationship quality in African populations. We explored relationship quality and satisfaction in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) using data from 148 in-depth interviews (117 life-course interviews with 28 adults and 31 interviews with 29 marriage counselors and their clients) and 4 focus group discussions. Love, respect, honesty, trust, communication, sexual satisfaction, and sexual faithfulness emerged as the most salient characteristics of good relationships, with both men and women emphasising love and respect as being most important. Participants desired relationships characterised by such qualities but reported relationship threats in the areas of trust, honesty, and sexual faithfulness. The dimensions of relationship quality identified by this study are consistent with research from other contexts, suggesting cross-cultural similarities in conceptions of a good relationship. Some relationship constructs, particularly respect, may be more salient in a Swazi context.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2019.1604254multiple sexual partnershipsconcurrencysexual satisfactionloverespectcouple communication |
| spellingShingle | Allison Ruark Edward C. Green Amy Nunn Caitlin Kennedy Alfred Adams Thandeka Dlamini-Simelane Pamela J. Surkan Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk SAHARA-J multiple sexual partnerships concurrency sexual satisfaction love respect couple communication |
| title | Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk |
| title_full | Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk |
| title_fullStr | Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk |
| title_short | Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV: dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk |
| title_sort | navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of hiv dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in eswatini and linkages to hiv risk |
| topic | multiple sexual partnerships concurrency sexual satisfaction love respect couple communication |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2019.1604254 |
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