Orphanhood and sexual risk

I think I have perhaps, maybe, possibly, temporarily circled back to the original purpose of this blog. I started it to write about orphans, but life happens. I will probably mix my own spiritual journey with research on orphans. The two topics seem to be intertwined in my life as my final objective. I landed on an article on orphanhood and fertility. We tend to think orphans are sexually at risk because of the events in their lives. However, these authors are researching an alternative rationale for sexual relations of orphans. Their research supports the desire for a family to reach a normal lifestyle. This view counters our typically assumption that due to the trauma of orphans, their stereotype of lower education and poverty lead to higher risk taking in sexual relations. This concept even runs counter to my research assumption about sexual motivations of orphans. Could it be that the orphans simply want to have a family to have a sense of purpose and meaning. The authors describe Malawi and bring in other research from Zimbabwe and South Africa. I looked at cultural dimensions and their are some differences between Malawi and South Africa. Zimbabwe did not have any data. Malawi is more of a nurturing (feminine) culture, so that might be a factor in the orphans wanting to have children. For that variable, it makes sense that some societies would be better at nurturing versus the opposite trait of assertive (masculine). The assertive cultural dimension "indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life" (Hofstede, 2016). For some cultures, the typical at risk approach may be a desire for a normal life by forming a family.


Hofstede, G. (2016). Malawi. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/malawi.html

Kidman, R., & Anglewicz, P. (2014). Fertility Among Orphans in Rural Malawi: Challenging Common Assumptions About Risk and Mechanisms. International Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, 40(4), 164-175. doi: 10.1363/4016414