Background: This study investigated the relationship between family background and
adolescent sexuality among secondary school students in Botswana.
Objective: Controlling for individual, household, and community level variables, the main
goals of the study are to determine the role of family background variables [at age 11, which
significant adult did the subject live with, presence/absence of communication on sexuality
with either co-resident and non-resident family members or both, presence/absence of
punishment, for sexually-related behaviour, from resident adult family members] on
awareness of HIV/AIDS and condom use among Secondary School students.
Design: The study is cross-sectional and used a combination of both quantitative and
qualitative methodologies. The main data source are the responses to the current and
retrospective questions, obtained via self-administered questionnaires which were distributed
among a selection of 531 students attending purposively selected Secondary Schools in
Selibe-Phikwe, in 2001. Data from key informant interviews with Headmasters and other
community leaders was also collected. This information was bolstered by that obtained from
focus group discussions with the students. SPSS v-11.0 was employed to obtain bivariate
analysis of the data, and to estimate logistic regression equation of the likelihood of the
dependent variable. These findings are interpreted in combination with the information
obtained qualitatively.
Results: Compared to living in a family of orientation that included both parents, living in a
family of orientation that included “other” adults, other than mother, father, or grandparents,
at age 11, significantly reduced the likelihood of condom use at first sexual encounter among
adolescents. Also, communication on sexuality issues with a co-resident parent significantly
increased the likelihood of both HIV/AIDS awareness and condom use at first sexual
encounter among adolescents. The likelihood of condom use increased very significantly
when communication was with a grandparent than with a parent(s). On the other hand,
punishment for sexually related behaviour by a resident adult family member significantly
decreased the likelihood of condom use at first sexual encounter among adolescents.
Conclusion: On the basis of these results, it is concluded that communication about sexual
and reproductive health issues by significant adult family members with their children should
be promoted.