Abstract:
Globally challenges regarding healthcare provision are sometimes related to a failure to
estimate client numbers in peri-urban areas due to rapid population growth. About onesixth
of the world's population live in informal settlements which are mostly characterised
by poor healthcare service provision. Poor access to primary healthcare may expose
residents of informal settlement more to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) than their rural and urban counterparts due
to a lack of access to information on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The
objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of both the reproductive
health services' clients and the healthcare providers with regard to the provision of
reproductive health services including the prevention of HIV and AIDS in a primary
healthcare setting in Tshwane. A qualitative, exploratory and contextual design using a
phenomenological approach to enquire about the participants' experiences was implemented.
Purposive sampling resulted in the selection of 23 clients who used the reproductive
healthcare services and ten healthcare providers who were interviewed during
individual and focus group interviews respectively. Tesch's method for qualitative data
analysis was used. Ethical principles guided the study, and certain strategies were followed
to ensure trustworthiness. The findings revealed that females who lived in informal settlements
were aware of the inability of the PHC setting to provide adequate reproductive
healthcare to meet their needs. The HCPs acknowledged that healthcare provision was
negatively affected by policies. It was found that the community members could be taught
how to coach teenagers and support each other in order to bridge staff shortages and increase
health outcomes including HIV/AIDS prevention.
