Rachel MASH | Stellenbosch University (original) (raw)

Papers by Rachel MASH

BMJ Open, 2012

Introduction: Religion is important in most African communities, but faith-based HIV prevention p... more Introduction: Religion is important in most African communities, but faith-based HIV prevention programmes are infrequent and very rarely evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a church-based peer education HIV prevention programme that focused on youth. Design: A quasi-experimental study design compared non-randomly chosen intervention and control groups.

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2010

Background: HIV/AIDS makes the largest contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa and ... more Background: HIV/AIDS makes the largest contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa and consistent condom use is considered a key component of HIV-prevention efforts. Health workers see condoms as a straightforward technical solution to prevent transmission of the disease and are often frustrated when their simple advice is not followed.Objectives: To better understand the complexity of the decision that women must make when they are asked to negotiate condom use with their partner.Method: A literature review.Results: A key theme that emerged included unequal power in sexual decision making, with men dominating and women being disempowered. Women may want to please their partner, who might believe that condoms will reduce sexual pleasure. The use of condoms was associated with a perceived lack of ‘real’ love, intimacy and trust. Other factors included the fear of losing one’s reputation, being seen as ‘loose’ and of violence or rejection by one’s partner. For many women, co...

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde, 2006

To the Editor: The sexual behaviour of young people in South Africa is clearly important with reg... more To the Editor: The sexual behaviour of young people in South Africa is clearly important with regard to their risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As many young people are exposed to the teaching of the church on this issue, church organisations, which reach into almost every community, can make a significant contribution towards the reduction of risky sexual behaviour. This study explored the sexual behaviour of youth (aged 12-19 years) within the Anglican church in the Western Cape and the relevance of messages such as 'no sex before marriage'. The study makes recommendations on the design of more effective church-based interventions. Method Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 65 out of 131 churches in the Cape Town Diocese according to their location and predominant racial composition. A questionnaire was developed with reference to similar surveys commissioned by the loveLife consortium 1 and the Christian Community

South African Medical Journal, 2014

South Africa (SA) is about to embark on exploratory high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) t... more South Africa (SA) is about to embark on exploratory high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract the huge reserves of natural gas contained in shale rock. [1] There has been much controversy around this decision as, on the one hand, this could reduce our carbon footprint (natural gas releases 58% less carbon dioxide than coal) and could have significant economic benefits for the country; while, on the other hand, there are concerns about the environmental and health impacts. [2] Some countries, such as France and Bulgaria, have banned fracking, while others such as the UK believe that it can be performed safely if regulations are strictly enforced. [3] The USA has been one of the leaders in fracking, which has transformed their reliance on imported fossil fuels, although some states, such as New York, are calling for a comprehensive health assessment before giving permission. [4] Although fracking has been taking place for a decade in the US, there is surprisingly little scientific evidence on the health impacts. It cannot be concluded that an absence of evidence of harm implies that no harm may result. [5] This article attempts to summarise the health concerns and discuss them within the SA context. The current situation Permission has been granted to initiate exploratory fracking in an area of >200 000 km 2 in SA, which will affect the Karoo, parts of the Free State, Northern and Eastern Cape, and a portion of KwaZulu-Natal. If the gas deposits are found to be financially viable, thousands of wells could potentially be drilled in these areas. [6]

BMJ Open, 2012

Introduction: Religion is important in most African communities, but faith-based HIV prevention p... more Introduction: Religion is important in most African communities, but faith-based HIV prevention programmes are infrequent and very rarely evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a church-based peer education HIV prevention programme that focused on youth. Design: A quasi-experimental study design compared non-randomly chosen intervention and control groups.

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2010

Background: HIV/AIDS makes the largest contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa and ... more Background: HIV/AIDS makes the largest contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa and consistent condom use is considered a key component of HIV-prevention efforts. Health workers see condoms as a straightforward technical solution to prevent transmission of the disease and are often frustrated when their simple advice is not followed.Objectives: To better understand the complexity of the decision that women must make when they are asked to negotiate condom use with their partner.Method: A literature review.Results: A key theme that emerged included unequal power in sexual decision making, with men dominating and women being disempowered. Women may want to please their partner, who might believe that condoms will reduce sexual pleasure. The use of condoms was associated with a perceived lack of ‘real’ love, intimacy and trust. Other factors included the fear of losing one’s reputation, being seen as ‘loose’ and of violence or rejection by one’s partner. For many women, co...

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde, 2006

To the Editor: The sexual behaviour of young people in South Africa is clearly important with reg... more To the Editor: The sexual behaviour of young people in South Africa is clearly important with regard to their risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As many young people are exposed to the teaching of the church on this issue, church organisations, which reach into almost every community, can make a significant contribution towards the reduction of risky sexual behaviour. This study explored the sexual behaviour of youth (aged 12-19 years) within the Anglican church in the Western Cape and the relevance of messages such as 'no sex before marriage'. The study makes recommendations on the design of more effective church-based interventions. Method Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 65 out of 131 churches in the Cape Town Diocese according to their location and predominant racial composition. A questionnaire was developed with reference to similar surveys commissioned by the loveLife consortium 1 and the Christian Community

South African Medical Journal, 2014

South Africa (SA) is about to embark on exploratory high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) t... more South Africa (SA) is about to embark on exploratory high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract the huge reserves of natural gas contained in shale rock. [1] There has been much controversy around this decision as, on the one hand, this could reduce our carbon footprint (natural gas releases 58% less carbon dioxide than coal) and could have significant economic benefits for the country; while, on the other hand, there are concerns about the environmental and health impacts. [2] Some countries, such as France and Bulgaria, have banned fracking, while others such as the UK believe that it can be performed safely if regulations are strictly enforced. [3] The USA has been one of the leaders in fracking, which has transformed their reliance on imported fossil fuels, although some states, such as New York, are calling for a comprehensive health assessment before giving permission. [4] Although fracking has been taking place for a decade in the US, there is surprisingly little scientific evidence on the health impacts. It cannot be concluded that an absence of evidence of harm implies that no harm may result. [5] This article attempts to summarise the health concerns and discuss them within the SA context. The current situation Permission has been granted to initiate exploratory fracking in an area of >200 000 km 2 in SA, which will affect the Karoo, parts of the Free State, Northern and Eastern Cape, and a portion of KwaZulu-Natal. If the gas deposits are found to be financially viable, thousands of wells could potentially be drilled in these areas. [6]