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Background: In South Africa, universal access to health care services, including those relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, is contained in Section 27 of the Constitution and commits the country to supporting the United Nations 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with knowledge about family planning and access to SRH services among sexually active immigrant youths in Hillbrow, South Africa. Method: This cross-sectional study was based on data from a household survey conducted in Hillbrow during December 2019. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information from immigrant youths (18–34 years old). Data on 437 sexually active respondents was analysed in STATA 14 using univariate, bivariate, logistic, and multinomial regression models. A p-value of < 0.05 was chosen as the level of significance. Results: About half of the respondents had poor knowledge about family planning; about one-third (35%) of the immigrant youths had no access to SRH services, 42% had some access, and 23% had access. The adjusted logistic regression model showed that being a female (AOR = 3.85, CI: 2.34–6.35, belonging to age group 30–34 years (AOR = 3.88, CI: 2.00–7.53); belonging to the rich wealth index (AOR = 2.55 (1.32–4.93); not having received information about family planning (AOR = 0.17, CI = 0.10–0.29) and not using a contraceptive at the time of the survey (AOR = 0.37, CI: 0.19–0.70) were factors associated with having knowledge about family planning. The adjusted multinomial regression shows that the factors associated with not having access to SRH services were secondary or higher level of education (ARRR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.06–3.36), belonging to the rich wealth quintile (ARRR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.00–5.07), being undocumented (ARRR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.27–0.88), having experienced discrimination in Hillbrow (ARRR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.15–3.67) and having received information about family planning 6 months prior to the survey (ARRR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.26–0.90, p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: To move towards realization of the Constitution of South Africa, achieve the SDGs, and curb associated negative SRH outcomes, there is a need to advocate for the implementation of universal access to SRH services that is inclusive of immigrant youths. Plain language summary: Access to SRH services by adolescents and youths has been a serious public health concern globally. In South Africa, universal access to health care including reproductive health care services is contained in Sect. 27 of the Constitution. The country is committed to the 2030 Agenda of the SDGs with the theme "leaving no one behind". The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with knowledge about family planning and access to SRH services among sexually active immigrant youths in Hillbrow, South Africa. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on the socio-demographic, migration, and reproductive health characteristics from 439 sexually active immigrant youths in Hillbrow during December 2019. The data were analysed to assess the factors associated with knowledge about family planning and access to SRH services. The findings show that 46% of the immigrant youth had poor knowledge about family planning, while 35% had no access to SRH services, 42% had some access and only 23% had access. The study showed that the factors associated with knowledge about family planning are female respondents, from the rich income group, those in the older age category, those who received information about family planning 6-months prior to the survey and those using a contraceptive at the time of the survey. The factors associated with having no access to SRH services were those respondents having completed secondary education and higher, from the rich income group, undocumented immigrants, those respondents having experienced discrimination in Hillbrow, youths not having received information about family planning prior to the survey, and those not using a contraceptive. It is important to make access to SRH services available to immigrant youths to prevent associated negative SRH outcomes among the youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined psycho-social experiences and coping among caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the North West Province of South Africa. Using a cross-sectional survey design and non-probability purposive sampling method, 728 participants were surveyed. Data were collected using self-developed, validated scales for coping and caregivers’ challenging experiences. Results showed no significant gender difference in coping. Employment status had a significant influence on coping, with the employed coping significantly better than the unemployed. Marital status did not significantly predict coping among caregivers. Caregivers who did not receive food support coped less well with the challenges of caregiving. Caregivers who did not perceive that they had financial challenges, challenges of meeting medical demands of relatives, or the challenge of the fear of death of relatives (respectively) were more likely to cope better with the stress of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. Caregivers face a number of psycho-social challenges, and it is recommended that policy makers, non-government organizations and healthcare providers review their programmes to assist in addressing psycho-social challenges in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study was guided by Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological theory of human development. Among the social ecological context variables examined were school, peer, community and family influences on adolescent sexual behaviours among black African adolescents in the North West Province of South Africa. Consistent with existing empirical evidence, aspects of contextual factors such as peer, school, family and community proved to be significant in understanding adolescent sexual behaviours, even though some of these effects were not always in the expected direction. Beside these contextual factors, individual-level factors such as age, gender, religious affiliation, residence, grade level and aggressiveness were also found to be important correlates of adolescent sexual behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, the aim of the study forming the basis of the article was to examine how traditional leadership can be harnessed for the purposes of service delivery at the local level in South Africa. Specifically, the study sought to examine the juxtaposition of traditional and modern forms of governance in South Africa (institutional duality) and the role traditional leaders play in the provision and delivery of social and economic services to the sections of the population within their jurisdictions. The results of the study confirmed the existence of this institutional duality with regard to the Southern African institutional culture. In other words, even though traditional leaders no longer wield the considerable administrative, legislative and judicial powers they used to exercise over the chiefdoms, they are still very much part of the institutional culture of South Africa and the sub-region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]