Grade 12 learners’ perceptions on what needs to be done to reduce their

4.3.5.1 Theme 4: Voices of participants regarding what could and should be done to reduce the risk of Grade 12 learners’ vulnerability to HIV infections

Participants made their voices heard on what they consider should be done to reduce the risk of contracting HIV and AIDS. They addressed their concerns, first to themselves and fellow learners, and thereafter to the school management and government. Words of advice to fellow adolescents centred around abstinence, religiousness, participation in HIV and AIDS clubs and the need to encourage each other in the wake of the HIV and AIDS adversity. The following are the voices of participants on these issues:

(a) To fellow learners

(F5)…into ixhomekeke emntwini abanye abantu tend to think uba iHIV is sort of a disease ethile but balibale uba ayohlukanga kwezinye izinto ezifana like ne cancer because like nazo azinyangeki in a way. So we have to make people aware that nonayo akwazi ukuziaksephtha that ngoku mna ndinayo so I think ilapho nje.

(This all depends on an individual; other people tend to think that to live with HIV is sort of a disease or something and forget that it is not different from other diseases like cancer because they are also incurable in a way. So we have to make people aware so that even the infected will be able to accept themselves.)

(G1) Kukuthi xa umntu ethandana nepartner yakhe nisaqala ukudibana before baheve isex then badiskhase ukuba mahambe baqalw bayokwenza itest so that bathi beqala ukuheva isex babe bezazi izteythas zabo ukuba ba negative or ba positive na so that bangaheva isex xa sebezinonile izteythas zabo ukuba zinjani.

(When meeting a partner for the first time before they have sex there should be a discussion on HIV testing so that when they start having

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sex they would already know their status whether they are negative or positive.)

(b) To Parents

(F2) Ndicinga ukuba mna abazali kumele bathethe nabantwana ngokwabelana ngesondo without protection nobungozi abangathi bazifake kubo xa besabelana ngesondo ngaphandle kokuzikhusela. (I think parents should discuss the dangers their children might find themselves in when having unprotected sex.)

(c) To school management and government

(G5) Kuyakufuneka kaloku zinqunyanyiswe ezi zinto kuphelwa kusabelwana ngamasondo like iinto ezifana nee match kufokhaswe kwizinto ezidibene nee SCO.

(Things like matches need to be scraped off from extra-curricular activities and focus on things like the Students Christian Organisation because learners end up having sex when they go out.)

(F6) Ndicinga ukuba kwii rural areas I don’t think ukuba banayo I information eninzi nge HIV and AIDS so ukureyza I awareness pha kubantu bakwi rural areas could help uba bazikhusele and giving them ii condoms and everything ukwenzela ukuba bakwazi nabo ukuba bangosuleleki I think it would help.

(I think in rural areas people do not have enough information about HIV and AIDS, so to raise the awareness among them could help in terms of protection and giving them free condoms so that they do not contract HIV. I think it would help.)

(G3) Oogqirha ingaske bazame amayeza man kuba abantu abazisebenzisi ezi condoms ezi zikhutshwayo.

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(I wish doctors could find out a cure for HIV because people do not use these freely available condoms.)

(G3) Okanye urhulumente ngekuzanywa icebo kukhutshwe abantu bahambe behlola abantu kwizindlu ngezindlu, umntu ongaphantsi kwe 18 years oheve isex abanjwe.

(Or the government can make a plan by having officers who go from home to home checking those who have had sex while below the age of 18 and if found they should be arrested.)

(d) About the ABC strategy

(M5) Mm… ndizothi nangona inzima ke lena ingeyo solution e easy but ke ndizoyibiza nevertheless aam! iabstinence okokuqala is the best thing ever just to abstain okwangoku. Eyesibini like faithfulness and loyalty in a relationship ibaluleke kakhulu. Masithetheni silulutsha masithetheni sizilearners uba ha a makhe sihambe ngoku siyothesta uyabo before siyenze yonke le nto siyothesta so that xa siyenza lento siyenze kakuhle siyazi uba sisafe. Okwesithathu I plead this one, I plead that ndicela urhulumente azame iicondoms ezingcono kunezi azinikeza abantu, because ezi zona ziyalongeza inani ndicela nje iicondoms ezingconwanyana because you cannot run away from the fact that abantu sebebadalanyana uyababona abantakwethu aba noko iminyaka seyihambile hahahaaa… (laughing).

(Mmm… I would say even though this is difficult and not an easy solution, nevertheless abstinence is the best thing ever at the moment. Secondly, faithfulness and loyalty in a relationship is very important. Let us talk as youth, let us talk as learners that we should test for HIV so that we engage in sex knowing that we are safe. Thirdly, I plead with the government to issue better condoms than the ones available because you cannot run away from the fact that people are a bit old as you can my brothers here at least they are of age hahahaaa…(laughing).

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4.3.5.2 Theme 7: Participants’ voices of what could and should be done about the programmes

A number of issues were raised by participants, regarding how the programmes could be improved. Participants also expressed the need for more external visitors to schools especially from HIV and AIDS organisations for encouragement, and commended our involvement as encouraging. Participants thought that our coming was part of the regular effort to help with the HIV and AIDS activities and that we would continue coming to schools. The following represent some of their voices:

(B4) Ndicinga ukuba mna u government makaintavine ngoluhlobo lokuba azame ukukhuthaza amanesi ukuba nawo mawaphume ngaphandle ngamaxesha athile avizithe ezikolweni nasemaphandleni akhe ahambe eyicacisa le nto le yokuba iHIV inobungozi and ikhuselwa njani yha.

(I think the government should intervene by encouraging nurses to go to communities at specific times to visit schools and in rural areas so that they spread the message that HIV is risky and explain how it can be prevented, yea.)