https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/14516 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:28:57 GMT 2026-06-19T18:28:57Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32578 Life after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS : exploring the experiences of young women aged 18-35 diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Mtubatuba Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal province Sosibo, Nothando Bridget In rural South Africa, young women face multiple challenges after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This study explored the lived experiences of young women aged 18 to 35 who had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province, using the health belief model (HBM) and Goffman’s stigma theory to frame their psychosocial journeys. The study was guided by the interpretivist paradigm, where a qualitative research design was employed, using purposive sampling to access 15 participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was utilised for data analysis. The findings indicate that initial reactions to the diagnosis are marked by profound shock, fear of death, anger, and self-blame, which highlight the enduring perception of HIV as a fatal and morally stigmatised condition in rural communities. However, there was a gradual move towards acceptance, which is largely facilitated by counselling, health education, and supportive family networks. Health workers are pivotal in reframing HIV as a manageable condition, although inconsistencies in counselling quality highlight structural gaps in care. While family and peer support provide emotional stability, disclosure is fraught with fear of rejection, gossip, and community judgement. The absence of formalised external support groups and economic empowerment initiatives further exacerbated the participants’ psychosocial vulnerabilities. Coping strategies included strict adherence to antiretroviral treatment through alarms, calendars, and reminders; reliance on prayer and spirituality for resilience; lifestyle modifications such as reduced alcohol intake; and cautious navigation of romantic and sexual relationships. The study concludes that while biomedical interventions have transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition, psychosocial and structural challenges remain significant barriers to holistic well-being. The study recommends strengthening community-based counselling, stigma reduction campaigns, and socio-economic support structures, alongside integrating spiritual care and safe disclosure protocols. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32578 2026-01-31T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32454 An intersectional analysis of early-career young cisgender women teachers’ experiences of learner-on-teacher violence Maake, Tshepo B; Kganya, Huma E Background: Learner-on-teacher violence is a growing global concern, and South African schools are not exempt from this issue. However, the specific experiences of early-career young cisgender women teachers remain underexplored, despite their heightened vulnerability at the intersection of sex, gender, age, physical appearance and structural factors such as inadequate institutional support. Objectives: This article presents an intersectional analysis of how intersecting identity markers, such as sex, gender and age, alongside physical appearance and structural vulnerabilities, shape the heightened susceptibility of early-career young cisgender women teachers to violence from male learners. Method: The study used qualitative research, conducting eight interviews with early-career young cisgender women teachers from secondary schools in Tshwane, Gauteng. Results: The findings show that young cisgender women teachers are especially vulnerable to male learner violence, influenced by a small age gap and patriarchal gender ideologies. This vulnerability impacts their psychological well-being, affecting their interactions with learners and the school environment. Conclusion: The intersection of sex, gender, age, physical appearance and structural vulnerabilities produces a distinct form of learner-on-teacher violence, underscoring the specific risks faced by early-career cisgender women teachers. This vulnerability requires targeted attention and intervention to protect them from male learner violence. Collaborative efforts from the Department of Education and schools are necessary to support and safeguard these teachers, especially in schools with a history of violence. Contribution: This study enhances our understanding of how male learner violence affects the teaching experiences and well-being of early-career young cisgender women teachers in secondary schools. Keywords: sex; gender; age; physical appearance; female teacher; male learner; secondary schools; violence; South Africa. Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32454 2025-08-28T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32453 Navigating Cisheteronormativity in Military and Police Training: Experiences of Black Gay Male Soldiers and Police Officers in South Africa Maake, Tshepo B The South African historical research proves that military training camps during apartheid were sites of cisheteronormativity, which recognised cisgender heterosexual men and informed the illtreatment of gay male recruits who were exposed to harsh conversion therapies. Due to limited research, little is known about gay male soldiers and police officers’ encounters with cisheteronormative occupational cultures in their training experiences post-1994. This study explores how cisheteronormativity manifests and shapes Black gay men’s negotiation of sexual identity disclosure, agency, and belonging in the male-dominated military and police training spaces. Through qualitative in-depth interviews with 24 Black gay soldiers and police officers who underwent police and military training, the study established that Black gay male soldiers and police officers are often propelled by cisheteronormative ideologies and occupational cultures in training spaces to carefully negotiate their sexual identities. The findings reveal that acceptance and tolerance in these contexts is conditional, often dependent on concealment, silence, or conformity, while disclosure and visibility risked exclusion but also enabled resistance and redefined belonging. The findings contribute to our knowledge of how cisheteronormative occupational cultures operate as oppressive forces, especially within the South African military and police training spaces, and how Black gay men’s agency challenges and destabilises them, exposing the fragility of hegemonic heterosexual masculinities. Consequently, I argue that it is necessary to challenge cisheteronormative ideologies and heteronormative male occupational cultures in order to promote and achieve the social inclusion and integration of Black gay men, in such military and police training spaces as explored in this study. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32453 2026-01-25T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32452 Rural High School Learners’ Perceptions of Transitioning from High School to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Mpumalanga, South Africa Bayane, Percyval; Pitsoane, Enid Manyaku; Masekoameng, Sheron Mathlatse This paper explores rural high school learners’ perceptions of transitioning to higher education institutions (HEIs) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Drawing on data from focus group discussions and reflective essays conducted during a community engagement initiative, the study investigates high school learners’ expectations, meanings, and concerns about transitioning into tertiary education. Guided by the transition theory, the findings reveal that high school learners are aware of the academic demands of HEIs and view higher education as a pathway to social mobility. However, they also expressed concerns about financial challenges, limited preparedness, and social adjustment. The study highlights the importance of academic support, career guidance, mentorship, and financial assistance in enabling better transitions. By centering rural high school learners’ voices, the paper contributes to the literature on equitable access to higher education and the challenges rural learners face in navigating this critical shift. Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32452 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z