Being young and on the move in South Africa: how ‘waithood’ exacerbates HIV risks and disrupts the success of current HIV prevention interventions

Abstract

The period between childhood and adulthood has been characterised as a period of ‘waithood’ in which structural conditions may disable young people’s access to basic resources to become independent adults. We consider the specific implications of this experience for newly migrant young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We conducted repeat in-depth interviews and participatory workshops over a 12-month period with 38 young people on their experiences of migration, employment, sexual relationships and approaches taken to mitigate HIV-risk, in a high HIV-risk peri-urban setting. The lives of participants within the first year of arriving in a new place were characterised by fluidity and transience, underpinned by the inherent fragility of options and exacerbated by exploitative employers. Conditions of gendered employment opportunities shaped their capacity to source income, including through sexual relationships. Although risks were evident and ongoing, their significance were under-played with exposure conceived as unavoidable and temporary. HIV prevention services were consequently viewed as relevant to ‘other’ young people. Although navigating an ‘adult’ world, these ‘not yet adults’ are exposed to substantial risks. Services should be tailored to address specific and practical support needs of this transient population, alongside provision of harm-reduction and health support.