Like most countries in southern Africa, Zambia's HIV epidemic does not appear to be abating. In Zambia, young women aged 15-19 are six times more likely to be HN positive than men of the same age (AVERT, 2005). In Zambia, like most countries in southern Africa, the tendency to have multiple sexual partners is common to the entire population including the youth (AVERT, 2005).
While the tendency to have multiple sexual partners is common to most of the South African population, it is particularly increased among the young. The young people's tendency to engage in risky sexual behaviour, especially multiple sexual partnerships, makes them a very vulnerable group for HIV infection. Exploring the young people's perception of multiple sexual partnerships provides the opportunity to gain contextual insight into the subject.
Introduction
Context of the study
This study focused on young people in urban Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) because, as previously mentioned, HIV levels are highest in the urban areas of Zambia (AVERT, 2005). According to UNAIDS (2004), while a little less than 40% of Zambians live in towns or cities, HIV prevalence is significantly higher in these urban areas than elsewhere. Such high prevalence levels in Lusaka significantly indicate the possible impact of the epidemic on youths living there.
Evelyn Hone College was chosen as the focus of the study because it is the second largest tertiary institution in Lusaka with 3500 students (Evelyn Hone College, 2004).
Research methods
The researcher chose to focus on students as this was the easiest way to access people aged 15 to 24. One of the main disadvantages of qualitative research is that it is extremely time-consuming, especially when it comes to collecting and analyzing data. With these disadvantages in mind, the researcher still chose to use qualitative research methods because this was the best way to conduct this specific study.
The researcher decided to access the youth through the college because it was cheaper and convenient. Students at this institution were chosen because most of the student population falls in the 15-24 age group, placing them in a very high risk group for HN infection (ZAWECA, 2005). While the focus on university students raises questions of sample bias as it leaves out the less educated, AVERT (2005) states that, unlike in other countries, HIV in Zambia is not primarily a disease of the most underprivileged.
Moreover, this study was an exploratory study with limited scope and duration, and therefore the representativeness of the sample is not a major problem. The main purpose of the focus group is to get beneath the surface of a particular topic, with the assumption that respondents will reveal more if stimulated by the camaraderie and comments of others. The researcher decided to use semi-structured in-depth interviews as they provide the opportunity to probe, ask follow-up questions and enable interaction between the researcher and participants (Mantell et al.
Furthermore, these interviews used open-ended questions which allow respondents to provide in-depth details about their attitudes and opinions and therefore provide deeper understandings of the issues (Bernard, 1994). The loose structure of in-depth interviews also allows respondents an opportunity to expand on the topic under discussion (Power, 2002).
Data Collection
While bearing in mind that the generalizability and suitability of focus groups have been questioned by some, the researcher decided to use them because, according to Kaplowitz and Hohn (1998), focus groups are usually useful in research areas where there are different hypotheses that are not well established . On the other hand, the in-depth interview is a research method used to collect data that is not influenced by group interaction. Therefore, an in-depth interview allows the data to be collected independent of group dynamics.
In addition to focus groups, the researcher also used in-depth interviews to collect data. A total of ten in-depth interviews were conducted with five male and five female students. The researcher personally approached the participants and asked them if they would be willing to participate in the research.
The main advantages of purposive sampling are that it enables the researcher to reach the target sample quickly and the researcher is likely to get the opinions of the target population. The fact that the researcher was female may have influenced the data collected in both the male focus group discussions and the male in-depth interviews. Although the exact extent of this may be impossible to detect, it is something the researcher was aware of throughout the study.
The researcher decided not to hire a male researcher to conduct these discussions and interviews due to time and financial constraints. The researcher did not have enough time to find and properly train a male researcher and in light of this the researcher decides to conduct the discussions and interviews in person keeping in mind that this may affect the accuracy of the findings.
Pilot Testing
The most important topics discussed in the focus groups and questioned in the interviews were perceptions of young people's sexual behavior and opinions and attitudes regarding multiple sexual partnerships.
Ethical Considerations
Informed consent is essential as it ensures people's freedom not to participate in the research if they are not comfortable with it (Scheyvens et al, 2003:142). All the first-hand information collected from the respondents was not disclosed to anyone in a form that could allow the identification of the respondent. In addition, the researcher only proceeded with the study after receiving ethical clearance from the Ethics Committee at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Data Analysis
Limitations of the study
In addition, as with any study dealing with the topic of sex, this study must consider the honesty and completeness of responses (Dare and Cleland, 1994). This makes it completely impossible to assess the level of fairness and accuracy with absolute confidence.
Summary
The respondents cited peer pressure as another reason why young women have multiple sex partners. The respondents were asked what they thought were the risks associated with various sexual partnerships. Some respondents felt that condom advertising encourages casual sex and multiple sexual partnerships among youth.
Respondents were asked if they thought their community was concerned about more sexual partnerships among young people. The majority of respondents believed that more information should be given to young people about the dangers of polygamy. In addition, a few respondents believed that a revival of morality throughout society would help reduce multiple sexual partnerships.
For some young people, having multiple sexual relationships was a way to entertain themselves because they had nothing else to do. When respondents talked about young men having multiple sexual relationships to “prove a point,” it is clear that this is the case. Most respondents for this study cited economic reasons as the most common reason for multiple sexual relationships among young women.
Finally, the findings of this study show that some respondents believed their community was concerned about multiple sexual partnerships among youth. Multiple sexual partnerships among youth in Zambia are strongly influenced by several environmental, social.
Results
Introduction
Male and female respondents had different reasons why young people had multiple sexual partnerships. Respondents also thought that young women had many sexual partners because they wanted to have fun and also gain more sexual experience. Young people also tend to think that they cannot be infected with HIV and therefore continue to have multiple sexual partnerships.
Respondents also talked about a particular group of unknown male students who were concerned about multiple sexual relationships. Respondents were also asked whether people in their community talked about the dangers of having multiple sexual relationships. Respondents offered several suggestions about what could be done to address multiple sexual partnerships among young people.
This study explored young people's perceptions of polygamy in the context of HIVAIDS. The results of this research show that young people can correctly define multiple sexual partnerships, with the majority of respondents defining them as having more than one sexual partner. The findings of this study indicate that young people believe that there is a strong link between being raised in a polygamous home and having multiple sexual partnerships in youth.
According to the respondents, having multiple sex partners was a way out of poverty for most young women. Respondents thought that young people engaged in multiple sexual partnerships because they had nothing to entertain them. On the other hand, some of the respondents for this study did not think their community was concerned about multiple sexual partnerships.
First, many of the respondents believed that the young people should receive more information about the dangers of having multiple sexual partnerships, especially because some of the young people usually engaged in such risky behavior because they were not well informed. According to the respondents, young people with strong Christian principles and values were less likely to have multiple sexual partnerships. The sense of fatalism and hopelessness is also another factor that affects multiple sexual partnerships among the young.
