Mobile platform YoungAfricaLive (YAL) took a snapshot of young Africans' views on love and sex in a 10-day online poll, revealing some surprising takes on matters of the heart.
YoungAfricaLive users in SA, Kenya and Tanzania could cast a vote each day on a broad range of polls covering everything from marriage, to treatment for cheating partners.
The majority of those polled said you can't stop yourself falling in love, with 62% of close to 3 500 users acknowledging that “The heart wants what the heart wants”. The heart also has a say when it comes to getting physical, apparently, as 76% of over 4 000 YAL users agreed sex is “always better with someone you love”.
When asked what's most important in a relationship, 70% of votes went to having a solid foundation of friendship, trust and support - over and above love, good sex or financial security.
On the topic of tying the knot, most respondents (88% of close to 4 000 users) said marriage needs love to succeed, although for many actual nuptials may lie some years ahead. Would-be husbands better adjust their expectations, however, as very few women voted for showing their love by “cleaning up after him”, “making sure his dinner is waiting when he comes home”, or “having sex with him whenever he wants it”.
In a response to the question: 'Love is stronger than... a rough hand: True or False?', 17% agreed that a man can raise his hand against a woman and still love her, while close to 80% said either it's never okay for a man to take such action or that this should be termed “bad love”.
It seems respondents are slightly more divided when it comes to second chances for straying partners. Around half of the respondents (close to 2 000 of around 4 000 votes) said they would hit the road if their significant other cheated.
While more than 23 million people are living with HIV in Southern Africa, only 52% of young Africans defined love as always using a condom to protect one's partner. This compared with the 5% who said love is having sex without a condom “because you trust one another”, the 21% defining love as “taking an HIV test together”, and the 20% who defined it as “coming clean about your sexual past”.
A small variance between the genders also showed up in how they express their feelings, with 84% of girls saying they showed their love by being caring and supportive, compared to 79% of guys who voted the same.
“It's always fascinating when we do these polls on YoungAfricaLive, especially when they are around a strong topic like love and romance,” said Gustav Praekelt, founder of YAL developer the Praekelt Foundation. “Our polls are not definitive, but we do believe that they play a role in giving an indication of where our users are headed and what is important to them.”
YoungAfricaLive SA has 831 000 registered users, while new services introduced in Kenya and Tanzania over the past two months are gaining momentum, says the foundation.
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