The child support grant, youth pregnancy and implications for HIV infections : a case study of Mafikeng local municipality, in Ngaka Modiri Molema district, North West province, South Africa

Abstract

This case study of Mafikeng Local Municipality in urban Extension 39 and rural Tsetse Village resulted from a public debate suggesting that the Child Support Grant (CSG) may be promoting youth pregnancy in South Africa. Against South Africa's high HIV infection burden, the reality of such allegations would call for intervention. The study therefore endeavoured to find out if there is such a relationship between the CSG and youth pregnancy, and the implications of the relationship for HIV infection. It assessed the HIV&AIDS knowledge, attitudes and practices of recipients while determining HIV&AIDS programmes available to them. The unprecedented exploratory descriptive study sought deep insight into the phenomenon by engaging triangulation through questionnaire and focus group discussion investigations. It used two sets of stratified purposive samples of twenty for each investigation scenario. Each sample was sub-divided into two samples of ten. Even if the subjects personally denied the trend, they hugely affirmed it for 'other' youth mothers on the CSG. Ironically, the public outlook on the pathological nature of the trend was shared by the subjects. Because of such consistent affirmation, the study establishes a concrete relationship between the Child Support Grant and youth pregnancy. The subjects reported that the readily available grant-money entices young women in the midst of poverty and unemployment. Meanwhile, such attraction inadvertently exposes recipients to HIV infection as conception of a baby takes place under unprotected sex. Besides grant-induced childbearing however, commercial ·sex to offset dire poverty is rampant. Additionally, many young women succumb to men's demands for pregnancy as fertility proof before they can be considered for marriage. These practices may equally promote youth pregnancy and even HIV infection. The study subjects performed poorly on HIV&AIDS knowledge, exhibiting confusion, fragmentation and errors. Negative HIV&AIDS attitudes and risky practices were common, alongside personal denial of the consequences of the HIV&AIDS pandemic. Equally, despite the knowledge of the role of condom-use in HIV prevention, condoms were unpopular, mostly due to poverty dictated choices. Ultimately, the disadvantaged and risky socio-economic environment in which the subjects live does not go well to

defend the subjects against HIV infection. This is worsened by the non-availability of specific HIV&AIDS programmes for this high-risk group. While monitoring the use of the grant to ensure efficient use of public funds and to allay the incessant negative criticism of recipients is necessary, addressing the subjects' socio-economic environment appears cardinal. This should entail teaching such youths more about HIV&AIDS alongside economic empowerment initiatives. Without such combined focus, HIV&AIDS prevention efforts may continue to fail. Although HIV&AIDS rehabilitative strategies are essential, a lot more needs to be invested in prevention. Meanwhile, individuals and society should take more personal and communal responsibility towards HIV&AIDS in order to support government desire and efforts to curb the pandemic. Several issues are suggested for further research on the Child Support Grant and on HIV&AIDS. Lastly, the subjects' unique projection of their negative views onto the 'others' throughout the study prompted the researcher to coin the term 'Mirage-Acknowledgement' for the phenomenon.