On May 4th, the Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) had me back to virtually capture a session on what research reveals about South African adolescent male attitudes towards sex and relationships. The researcher and presenter, Dr. Tsidiso Tolla, PHD, from the University of Cape Town School of Public Health, discovered her interviewees had views that were quite different from what is stereotypically assumed. They:
👉 Valued romance and relationships as much or more than sex
👉 Were quite concerned with the well-being of their partners
👉 Wanted to avoid pregnancy
👉 Were open to using contraception, including contraceptive drugs
The conversation was both interesting and moving, and I learned a lot. I’ll be recording more sessions for this organization later in the year, and I’m really looking forward to them!