LGBTPQ Youth Negotiating Access to Sexual Health Education and Resources in a Rural South African University

ABSTRACT

This article draws on sexual citizenship theory to analyze how some lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual and queer (LGBTPQ) youth in a low socio-economic rural South African context negotiate access to inclusive sexual health education programmes and resources. Participants are students aged 19 to 32 years old at a South African university. Using in-depth individual interviews, participants reflected on their experiences of sexual health education when they were still at school. The findings show the continuing silencing of sexual health issues concerning LGBTPQ youth in South African schools. Disadvantaged by the lack of sexual health education programmes in schools, findings show how the students sought LGBTPQ centered knowledge through self-study and other ways to empower themselves with information on sexual health matters. Participants also reflected on accessing the student health clinic at the university where they are students. Accessing condoms, lubricants, dental dams and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains a challenge. Implications suggest ways of improving the provision of LGBTPQ inclusive sexual health education programmes and resources in poor rural contexts in South Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• Heteronormativity
• LGBTPQ youth
• sexual health education
• sexual health resources
• South Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Poverty is linked to lack of job opportunities, and people in rural areas are often the most affected by joblessness. The current rate of unemployment in South Africa is extremely high (30.8%), particularly among the Black population (34.6%) (Statistics South Africa, 2020).

2. A dental dam costs about R40 (US$2.74); lubricant (50 ml) about R100 (US$6.86); male condoms (3 pack) about R80 (US$5.49); female condoms (2 pack) about R40 (US$2.74); and a monthly regimen of PrEP costs about R400 (US$27.44).