Wize Up Zimbabwe - Research

Sunday, Aug 24
High
Bug
9 years 32 weeks ago

To: The Health Communication Network within The Communication Initiative Network

Nokholo Mhluzani from Action IEHDC in Zimbabwe outlines the results of the research that provided the strategic foundations for their Wize Up television talk show on HIV/AIDS themes. Please do submit your questions and observations on this research. Either reply by email or click Read More below for the full piece and reply on the platform.

Action IEHDC recently started airing Wize Up the first ever television talk show in Zimbabwe, targeted at young people, to discuss growing up, sexuality and contraceptives.

Action IEHDC carried out an extensive qualitative research to unravel the reasons behind the rife transmission of HIV/AIDS among young people and their engagement in sexual activities at an early age.

The reasons for early sexual engagement were varied and came from respondents who ranged from urban dwellers, rural folk and those living in mining towns.

• Lack of entertainment among young people leads to sexual experiments

• Orphans and vulnerable children are at risk of engaging in sexual behaviour for financial support

• Some parents share bedrooms with their children and this then makes children want to emulate what they see

• Due to gender disparities, in relationships boys wield more power than girls and pressurise the latter into sexual intercourse

• In order to get good grades, college students enter into teacher-pupil relationships “thigh for a mark”

• Social media has catalysed access to pornographic material which then sees to the engagement of experimental sex

• Young people encounter difficulties negotiating for safer sex, especially those dating men or women with a large generational gap.

• Young people are not confident enough to seek professional advice regarding sexual intercourse or treatment for STIs

• There is a misconception that sex is a sign of love and that having numerous sexual partners is a sign of masculinity

These are some of the factors that drove Action IEHDC to come up with a television talk show that will help demystify misconceptions and myths of growing up and sexuality. Feel free to join us on Wize Up. Your decision. Your life. as we discuss these and other issues on ZBCTV in the weeks to come every Friday at 6pm

Nokholo Mhluzani