Sexual Risk Behaviours among Female University Students in Zimbabwe: A Qualitative Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/htcf9966Keywords:
Female university students, Sexual risk behaviours, Transactional relationships, Peer influence, Sexual and reproductive health, Gendered power, Church-owned universities, ZimbabweAbstract
This study explored sexual risk behaviours among female students at a church-owned university in Zimbabwe, focusing on their manifestations, contributing circumstances and consequences. A qualitative case-study design was employed to explore participants’ experiences and interpretations within the context of a church-owned university. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven female students and two key informants a student-welfare professional and a pastoral-support professional. The findings included transactional sexual relationships and multiple sexual partnerships. Participants associated these experiences with interconnected socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances, including financial hardship, emotional vulnerability, peer influence, limited family guidance and perceived limitations in institutional support. Some participants described involvement in materially supportive relationships as a coping or survival strategy rather than an entirely unrestricted choice. The accounts also identified psychological distress, shame, compromised academic participation, possible sexual and reproductive health risks, and strained social or spiritual relationships. Indirect reports concerning sexual exchanges associated with academic benefits raised concerns about possible exploitation and unequal institutional power but did not establish the occurrence or frequency of lecturer misconduct.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Thomas Gumbo, Livingson Moyo, Ketty Chirangwanda, Sinikiwe Ingwani, Telson Chisosa (Author)
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