Mothers and sex education: an explorative study in a low-income Western Cape community

Using a social constructionist grounded theory method, the investigation reported on in this study explored the role of mothers in their daughters’ sex education in a lowincome Western Cape community. Mothers were interviewed in order to explore how they viewed their daughters’ sexuality and how they interacted with their daughters about it. The mothers were found to be uncomfortable with discussing sexual issues with their daughters; to equate their daughters’ sexuality with danger; to attempt to protect their daughters from danger by discouraging sexual exploration, and to have only a limited capability for open sexual discussion. It is argued here that mothers’ limiting constructions of female sexuality and sex education should be targeted in sex education programmes in this community.