Abstract
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.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 10-24 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | SAHARA J : journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2019 |
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Keywords
- concurrency
- couple communication
- love
- Multiple sexual partnerships
- respect
- sexual satisfaction
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Immunology and Allergy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
Cite this
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. / Ruark, Allison; Green, Edward C.; Nunn, Amy; Kennedy, Caitlin E; Adams, Alfred; Dlamini-Simelane, Thandeka; Surkan, Pamela.
In: SAHARA J : journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, Vol. 16, No. 1, 01.12.2019, p. 10-24.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Navigating intimate sexual partnerships in an era of HIV
T2 - dimensions of couple relationship quality and satisfaction among adults in Eswatini and linkages to HIV risk
AU - Ruark, Allison
AU - Green, Edward C.
AU - Nunn, Amy
AU - Kennedy, Caitlin E
AU - Adams, Alfred
AU - Dlamini-Simelane, Thandeka
AU - Surkan, Pamela
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - concurrency
KW - couple communication
KW - love
KW - Multiple sexual partnerships
KW - respect
KW - sexual satisfaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064895402&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85064895402&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17290376.2019.1604254
DO - 10.1080/17290376.2019.1604254
M3 - Article
C2 - 30987536
AN - SCOPUS:85064895402
VL - 16
SP - 10
EP - 24
JO - Sahara J
JF - Sahara J
SN - 1729-0376
IS - 1
ER -