Abstract
BackgroundMany young men continue to disregard the importance of contraception and family planning in South Africa. The fact that even university students also do not take contraception and family planning seriously poses a serious threat to their own health and well-being.AimThis paper aims at investigating the attitudes of male students towards contraception and the promotion of female students’ sexual health rights and well-being at the University of Venda.MethodsQuantitative research method is used to determine how attitudes of 60 male students towards contraception can jeopardise the health and well-being of both male and female students.ResultsThis study reveals that the majority of 60 male students at the University of Venda have a negative attitude towards contraceptives. As a result, male students at the University of Venda are not keen on using contraceptives. Male students’ negative attitude and lack of interest in contraceptives and family planning also limit progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals on primary health care, especially with regard to sexual and reproductive health and well-being of female students at the University of Venda.ConclusionThe fact that more than half of the male students interviewed did not take contraception and family planning seriously poses a serious threat to health and well-being of students, including violation of female students’ sexual and reproductive health rights in South Africa. This calls for radical health promotion and sexual and reproductive rights programmes which should specifically target male students at the University of Venda.
Highlights
South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV and/or AIDS as it accounts for an estimated 5.4 million (25.0%) cases of the HIV infections in subSaharan Africa.[1]
This study shows that male students were involved or engaged in the discussion of contraception and family planning
Male students do not see it as their responsibility to participate in contraception and family planning campaigns taking place on campus
Summary
The developing countries carry the largest number of unintended HIV infections, pregnancies, abortions and maternal mortality in the world. Ethiopia accounts for 440 deaths per 100 000 births and 70 000 abortion-related mortality and morbidity every year among young women.[7,11,12] These high levels of HIV infections, abortions, abortion-related morbidity and maternal deaths can be prevented by changing young men’s attitudes towards contraception and family planning, especially in developing countries where the challenges associated with the nonuse of contraceptives are endemic. The fact that even university students do not take contraception and family planning seriously poses a serious threat to their own health and well-being
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