TY - JOUR
T1 - From first love to marriage and maturity
T2 - a life-course perspective on HIV risk among young Swazi adults
AU - Ruark, Allison
AU - Kennedy, Caitlin E.
AU - Mazibuko, Nonhlanhla
AU - Dlamini, Lunga
AU - Nunn, Amy
AU - Green, Edward C.
AU - Surkan, Pamela J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2016/7/2
Y1 - 2016/7/2
N2 - This paper uses a life-course approach to explore the sexual partnerships and HIV-related risk of men and women in Swaziland throughout their adolescence, 20s and 30s. Twenty-eight Swazi men and women between the ages of 20 and 39 discussed their life histories in 117 in-depth interviews, with an average follow-up of nine months. Many participants described painful childhood experiences, including a lack of positive role models for couple relationships. Women’s first sexual partnerships often involved coercion or force and resulted in pregnancy and abandonment by partners, leaving women economically vulnerable. Most men and women reported a desire to marry and associated marriage with respectability and monogamy. Men typically did not feel ready to marry until their 30s, while women often married only after years in tumultuous relationships. A high degree of relationship instability and change was observed over the study period, with half of participants reporting concurrency within their primary relationship. Participants’ narratives revealed significant sources and circumstances of risk, particularly multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships, violence and lack of mutual trust within relationships, as well as social ideals that may provide opportunities for effective HIV prevention.
AB - This paper uses a life-course approach to explore the sexual partnerships and HIV-related risk of men and women in Swaziland throughout their adolescence, 20s and 30s. Twenty-eight Swazi men and women between the ages of 20 and 39 discussed their life histories in 117 in-depth interviews, with an average follow-up of nine months. Many participants described painful childhood experiences, including a lack of positive role models for couple relationships. Women’s first sexual partnerships often involved coercion or force and resulted in pregnancy and abandonment by partners, leaving women economically vulnerable. Most men and women reported a desire to marry and associated marriage with respectability and monogamy. Men typically did not feel ready to marry until their 30s, while women often married only after years in tumultuous relationships. A high degree of relationship instability and change was observed over the study period, with half of participants reporting concurrency within their primary relationship. Participants’ narratives revealed significant sources and circumstances of risk, particularly multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships, violence and lack of mutual trust within relationships, as well as social ideals that may provide opportunities for effective HIV prevention.
KW - HIV
KW - Swaziland
KW - life-course perspective
KW - marriage
KW - multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships
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U2 - 10.1080/13691058.2015.1134811
DO - 10.1080/13691058.2015.1134811
M3 - Article
C2 - 26901064
AN - SCOPUS:84959062949
SN - 1369-1058
VL - 18
SP - 812
EP - 825
JO - Culture, Health and Sexuality
JF - Culture, Health and Sexuality
IS - 7
ER -