The lived experiences of selected FET adolescents on comprehensive sexuality education in South Africa

Abstract

There has been alarming sexual health-related statistics that remain unchanged after comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) has been part of the curriculum in South African (SA) schools since the year 2000. The present study sought to examine adolescents' lived experience of comprehensive sexuality education in South Africa. In this qualitative descriptive study with a phenomenological lens of inquiry, 10 participants were purposively selected from all 5 school quintiles in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data was analysed with the help of ATLAS.ti. Based on participants' lived experience, the results indicate that approaches of CSE deliverers1 as well as their delivery methods, disqualify sexuality education (SE) in SA schools from being regarded as comprehensive. Moreover, deliverers mostly teach from a top-down, one-sided approach where learners are excluded and social inequality is reinforced. In addition, the delivery methods focus mainly on prevention, encompassed with tactics that instil fear, disregard healthy sexuality and reinforce discriminative gender roles. The study recommends that a collaborative approach be considered towards the implementation of CSE that aligns not only with national and international benchmarks, but also with individual and contextual needs