Sexual Health of Young Women in the Spotlight of Masters Research

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Research on the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions young women have on sexual and reproductive health earned a graduate a Masters in Social Sciences degree.

Ms Gina Coetzee of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) employed art-based methodologies when communicating and gathering data in her research, the results of which she hopes will be used to enlighten adolescent girls about self-care awareness.

Coetzee examined socio-cultural barriers that prevent young women from taking a stand against the violation of their own bodies and says through addressing this reluctance, sexual and reproductive health problems in South Africa can be curbed.

Said Coetzee: ‘Adolescent girls in South Africa are a key population in the fight to end HIV/AIDS.  Not only are girls more likely to contract the virus but they also face the dual risk of adolescent fertility. This study emphasises the need to reduce significant socio-cultural barriers to sexual and reproductive health in order to ensure adolescent females have the ability to be effective self-care agents in maintaining their health.

Coetzee says she enjoyed interacting with participants in the research and that experiencing in real life what she only read about in academic journals was ‘amazing’.

One of the strongest challenges she had to overcome was self-doubt and learning to be her own greatest supporter helped her to celebrate her own victories.

She is grateful for the support she received from family and friends and said that in moments where her self-doubt far exceeded her self-worth her support structures helped her overcome the challenges.

‘No matter how daunting the task seemed, how ill equipped I felt, I continued to tell myself I can do this and I will do it.  And now I can finally say I have done it!’

Words by: Ziphezinhle Silindile Biyela

Photograph by Rajesh Jantilal