Sexual and Reproductive Justice for LGBTQI Youth in Policy Responses Across Eastern and Southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Lynch ◽  
Finn Reygan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Reproductive Justice ◽  
Policy Narratives ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
And Gender

Both significant progress and profound backlash have occurred in the inclusion of sexual and gender diversity across eastern and southern Africa. This includes the decriminalization of homosexuality in Mozambique in 2015 and the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (later annulled) in Uganda in the preceding year. Simultaneously there is increased pressure on Ministries of Education to engage more robustly with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education in education systems across the region. Emerging regional research points to a narrow, heteronormative focus in comprehensive sexuality education; access barriers to sexual and reproductive health services; and pervasive school-related gender-based violence, including homophobic and transphobic violence. Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a key role in developing best practice in advancing the SRHR of sexual and gender minority youth and are therefore a valuable resource for government SRHR policies and programmatic responses. The regional SRHR education policy landscape is underpinned by two policy narratives: that of young people’s SRHR as a public health concern and a focus on young people’s human rights. These policy narratives not only underpin SRHR policy in the region but also in many instances are drawn on in CSO advocacy when positioning the SRHR of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) young people as an important policy concern. These two dominant policy narratives, however, have a narrow focus on young people’s risks and vulnerabilities, may inadvertently perpetuate stigma and marginalization of LGBTQI youth, and may limit youth voice and agency. These narratives also do not sufficiently engage local sociocultural and structural conditions that drive negative SRHR outcomes for young people in the region. Research, advocacy, and policy development toward the full realization of the SRHR of sexual and gender minority youth can address some of the limitations of health and rights-based policy narratives by drawing on a sexual and reproductive justice framework. Such a framework expands the policy focus on health risks and individual rights to include engagement with sociocultural and structural constraints on young people’s ability to exercise their rights. A sexual and reproductive justice framework provides a more robust toolkit when working toward full inclusion of sexual and gender diversity in regional school-based SRHR policy and programs.

scholarly journals Sexual and Reproductive Health Web Sites: An Analysis of Content for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-401
Author(s):  
Jack Andrzejewski ◽  
Catherine N. Rasberry ◽  
Brian Mustanski ◽  
Riley J. Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Google Search

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth face risks for negative sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes; it is critical to provide these populations with health education that is both inclusive of and specific to their needs. We sought to characterize the strengths and weaknesses of SGM-related messages from web sites that address SRH for young people. We considered who is included, what topics are discussed, and how messages are framed. Methods: A systematic Google search and screening process was used to identify health promotion web sites with SRH content for adolescents and young adults. Using MAXQDA, we thematically coded and analyzed SGM content qualitatively. Results: Of 32 SRH web sites identified, 23 (71.9%) contained SGM content. Collectively, the sites included 318 unique SGM codes flagging this content. Approximately two-thirds of codes included messages that discussed SGM youth in aggregate (eg, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)—specific content about the diverse subpopulations within this umbrella term (eg, transgender youth) was more limited. In addition to SRH topics, most web sites had messages that addressed a broad array of other health issues including violence, mental health, and substance use (n = 17, 73.9%) and SGM-specific topics, for example coming out (n = 21, 91.3%). The former were often risk-framed, yet affirmational messages were common. Most web sites (n = 16; 69.6%) presented information for SGM youth both in stand-alone sections and integrated into broader content. Yet, integrated information was slightly more common (56.6% of all codes) than stand-alone content. Conclusions: Challenges of developing SRH content related to SGM youth include: (1) aggregate terms, which may not represent the nuances of sexual orientation and gender, (2) balancing risk versus affirmational messages, and (3) balancing stand-alone versus integrated content. However, SGM-related content also offers an opportunity to address diverse topics that can help meet the needs of these populations.

scholarly journals Committing to comprehensive sexuality education for young people in Eastern and Southern Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Sexuality Education ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Reproductive Health Services ◽  
Comprehensive Sexuality Education ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

The Ministerial Commitment on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Adolescents and Young People in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), or the ESA Commitment, was affirmed December 7, 2013, by 21 countries located across this region during the 17th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa. The ESA Commitment speaks to the numerous practices and challenges of school age populations stemming from interplay among education, health, and contextual issues varying by country. Analysis of this policy is approached using methodology drawn from Bartlett and Vavrus (2014, 2017) and using a lens of policy borrowing, particularly focused on incorporating agency, process, impact, and timing (Steiner-Khamsi, 2000, 2010). This analysis seeks to understand the ESA Commitment and national curriculum subsequently implemented in Zambia by situating these actions among broader international, regional, and national discourse in the area of sexual and reproductive health and education for young people between 1994 and 2016. Through analysis considering its effectiveness in terms of implementation, scalability, and sustainability, its ability to enable progress towards improving the lives of young people, especially through increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, is examined and recommendations are presented.

scholarly journals STORY THEATRE AND THE COMMUNICATION OF ADOLESCENT SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: THE RAPE OF WOMANHOOD IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

2020 ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Edisua Merab Yta ◽  
Emmy Ikanaba Unuja Idegu
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cross River State ◽  
Young Females ◽  
Objectification Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Economic Assets

Young people in Calabar have diverse sexual and reproductive health challenges. Many argue that integrating gender into health programming will help reduce some of these issues because gender is central to shaping many sexual and reproductive health issues. This study used story theatre, as a qualitatively, narrative and participatory approach in trying to understand how gender relates to and influences adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Twenty story sessions were held for a hundred young people (aged 10-19) in four selected communities’ Akai Effa, Ikot Ekpo, Efut Uwanse and Nyakassang all situated in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Areas of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria. Sessions were recorded and later coded and analyzed for sexual and reproductive health as well as gender themes. Key findings revealed that rape and gender-related sexual assault and violence, teenage pregnancy, intergenerational as well as the objectification of women ranked amongst the highest Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) and gender issues in the communities. Young females seem to be getting more of the negative effects than boys because they are seen as pleasurable and economic assets. It is recommended that out of the box approaches which will involve multi-systems and stakeholders be used in finding a solution to this worrisome issue.

Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health among Children and Youth

2020 ◽  
pp. 228-243
Author(s):  
Jessica N. Fish ◽  
Laura Baams ◽  
Jenifer K. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
The World ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people are coming of age at a time of dynamic social and political changes with regard to LGBTQ rights and visibility around the world. And yet, contemporary cohorts of SGM youth continue to evidence the same degree of compromised mental health demonstrated by SGM youth of past decades. The authors review the current research on SGM youth mental health, with careful attention to the developmental and contextual characteristics that complicate, support, and thwart mental health for SGM young people. Given a large and rapidly growing body of science in this area, the authors strategically review research that reflects the prevalence of these issues in countries around the world but also concentrate on how mental health concerns among SGM children and youth are shaped by experiences with schools, families, and communities. Promising mental health treatment strategies for this population are reviewed. The chapter ends with a focus on understudied areas in the SGM youth mental health literature, which may offer promising solutions to combat SGM population health disparities and promote mental health among SGM young people during adolescence and as they age across the life course.

scholarly journals Prevalence and clinical indices of risk for sexual and gender minority youth in an adolescent inpatient sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra H. Bettis ◽  
Elizabeth C. Thompson ◽  
Taylor A. Burke ◽  
Jacqueline Nesi ◽  
Anastacia Y. Kudinova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Minority Youth ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Adolescent Inpatient ◽  
Clinical Indices ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

scholarly journals Connected, Respected and Contributing to Their World: The Case of Sexual Minority and Non-Minority Young People in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1118
Author(s):  
András Költő ◽  
Aoife Gavin ◽  
Elena Vaughan ◽  
Colette Kelly ◽  
Michal Molcho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Youth Policy ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Bisexual Youth ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender

Outcome 5 of the Irish Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures national youth policy framework (“Connected, respected, and contributing to their world”) offers a suitable way to study psychosocial determinants of adolescent health. The present study (1) provides nationally representative data on how 15- to 17-year-olds score on these indicators; (2) compares sexual minority (same- and both-gender attracted youth) with their non-minority peers. We analyzed data from 3354 young people (aged 15.78 ± 0.78 years) participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Ireland. Age and social class were associated with the indicators only to a small extent, but girls were more likely than boys to report discrimination based on gender and age. Frequency of positive answers ranged from 67% (feeling comfortable with friends) to 12% (being involved in volunteer work). Sexual minority youth were more likely to feel discriminated based on sexual orientation, age, and gender. Both-gender attracted youth were less likely than the other groups to report positive outcomes. Same-gender attracted youth were twice as likely as non-minority youth to volunteer. The results indicate the importance of a comprehensive approach to psycho-social factors in youth health, and the need for inclusivity of sexual minority (especially bisexual) youth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document