scholarly journals “Spoiled” girls: Understanding social influences on adolescent contraceptive decision-making in Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255954
Author(s):  
Elizabeth K. Harrington ◽  
Edinah Casmir ◽  
Peninah Kithao ◽  
John Kinuthia ◽  
Grace John-Stewart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Pregnancy Prevention ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
The Social

Objectives Despite significant public health emphasis on unintended pregnancy prevention among adolescent girls and young women in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a gap in understanding how adolescents’ own reproductive priorities and the social influences on their decision-making align and compete. We examined the social context of contraceptive decision-making among Kenyan female adolescents. Methods Using community-based sampling, we conducted 40 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions among sexually-active or partnered adolescent girls and young women aged 15–19 in the Nyanza region of Kenya. We analyzed the data in Dedoose using an inductive, grounded theory approach, and developed a conceptual model from the data illustrating social influences on adolescent contraceptive decision-making. Results Participants viewed adolescent pregnancy as unacceptable, and described severe social, financial, and health consequences of unintended pregnancy, including abortion under unsafe conditions. Yet, their contraceptive behaviors often did not reflect their desire to delay pregnancy. Contraceptive decision-making was influenced by multiple social factors, centering on the intersecting stigmas of adolescent female sexuality, pregnancy, and contraceptive use, as well as unequal power in sexual relationships. To prioritize pregnancy prevention, adolescents must navigate conflicting social norms and power dynamics, and put their perceived future fertility at risk. Conclusions Contraceptive decision-making among Kenyan female adolescents is strongly influenced by opposing social norms within families, communities, and sexual relationships, which compel them to risk stigma whether they use a contraceptive method or become pregnant as adolescents. These findings put into perspective adolescents’ seemingly incongruent pregnancy preferences and contraceptive behaviors. Interventions to address adolescent unintended pregnancy should focus on supporting adolescent decision-making agency, addressing fertility-related contraceptive concerns, and promoting innovative contraceptive access points rather than increasing contraceptive prevalence.

scholarly journals Social Norms and Stigma Regarding Unintended Pregnancy and Pregnancy Decisions: A Qualitative Study of Young Women in Alabama

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney Smith ◽  
Janet M. Turan ◽  
Kari White ◽  
Kristi L. Stringer ◽  
Anna Helova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Young Women

Researching social influences on decision making: The case for qualitative methods

Human Affairs ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Radomír Masaryk
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Economic Models ◽  
Academic Rigor ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The Social

AbstractResearch on decision making has mainly been based on economic models that have tried to downplay the overall context of decision-making situations. When we look into the social influences on decision making we realize it is crucial that we bring the issue of context back into the spotlight. In the present paper we explore the methodological foundations of selected qualitative approaches for studying social influences on decision-making, focusing especially on their strengths and weaknesses. We conclude that this area has great potential for further research providing academic rigor is maintained when using qualitative methods.

scholarly journals Association between sexual violence and unintended pregnancy among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Idowu Ajayi ◽  
Henrietta Chinelo Ezegbe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Unintended Pregnancies

Abstract Background Unintended pregnancy has dire consequences on the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) (aged 15–24 years). While most studies tend to focus on lack of access to contraceptive information and services, and poverty as the main contributing factor to early-unintended pregnancies, the influence of sexual violence has received limited attention. Understanding the link between sexual violence and unintended pregnancy is critical towards developing a multifaceted intervention to reduce unintended pregnancies among AGYW in South Africa, a country with high teenage pregnancy rate. Thus, we estimated the magnitude of unintended pregnancy among AGYW and also examined the effect of sexual violence on unintended pregnancy. Methods Our study adopted a cross-sectional design, and data were obtained from AGYW in a South African university between June and November 2018. A final sample of 451 girls aged 17–24 years, selected using stratified sampling, were included in the analysis. We used adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of sexual violence on unintended pregnancy. Results The analysis shows that 41.9% of all respondents had experienced an unintended pregnancy, and 26.3% of those unintended pregnancies ended in abortions. Unintended pregnancy was higher among survivors of sexual violence (54.4%) compared to those who never experienced sexual abuse (34.3%). In the multivariable analysis, sexual violence was consistently and robustly associated with increased odds of having an unintended pregnancy (AOR:1.70; 95% CI: 1.08–2.68). Conclusion Our study found a huge magnitude of unintended pregnancy among AGYW. Sexual violence is an important predictor of unintended pregnancy in this age cohort. Thus, addressing unintended pregnancies among AGYW in South Africa requires interventions that not only increase access to contraceptive information and services but also reduce sexual violence and cater for survivors.

scholarly journals Is transactional sex exploitative? A social norms perspective, with implications for interventions with adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. e0214366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Wamoyi ◽  
Lori Heise ◽  
Rebecca Meiksin ◽  
Nambusi Kyegombe ◽  
Daniel Nyato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Transactional Sex

scholarly journals The cult of the body and its psychological consequences among adolescent girls

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-48
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Iwanicka ◽  
Jolanta Masiak ◽  
Joanna Księska-Koszałka ◽  
Gabriela Zdunek ◽  
Andy R. Eugene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
The Body ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Adolescent Women ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media

Abstract Taking into consideration the problem of “the cult of the body” among young women, the sociocultural context of their upbringing should be analyzed. Nowadays, it can be observed that many young women actively participate in promoting “the cult of the body”. The aim of the aforementioned actions is to get a slim, attractive figure consistent with the trends of women’s attractiveness promoted in the media. The analysis of the social networking sites and blogs indicates that more and more often women themselves are encouraged to promote their attractive, thin image in the Internet. This article will attempt to characterize the phenomenon of “the cult of the body”, in which adolescent women are engaged and which shapes their image of the body and has a potential influence on psychological and physical aspects of their existence. The analysis of the results of the research takes into account the analyzed subject and developmental conditioning of the time of adolescence in the context of sociocultural changes.

What Factors Moderate Self-Other Discrepancies in Decision Making? Results from a Vaccination Scenario

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dafina Petrova ◽  
Rocio Garcia-Retamero ◽  
Joop van der Pligt
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Transmitted Virus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Decisions For Others ◽  
Risky Decisions

AbstractWhen we make risky decisions for others, we tend to follow social norms about risks. This often results in making different decisions for others than we would make for ourselves in a similar situation (i.e., self-other discrepancies). In an experiment, we investigated self-other discrepancies in young adults’ decisions to purchase a vaccine against a sexually-transmitted virus for themselves or for another person (i.e., the target of the decision). When the target’s preferences were in line with social norms, surrogates showed large self-other discrepancies in line with these norms. When the target’s preferences were contrary to social norms, surrogates did not show self-other discrepancies in line with these preferences; instead they still followed social norms, F(1, 140) = 21.45, p < .001, ηp2 = .13. Surrogates with lower numeracy, F(2, 128) = 3.44, p = .035, ηp2 = .05, and higher empathy, F(2, 128) = 3.72, p = .027, ηp2 = .06, showed self-other discrepancies more in line with the target’s preferences, even when these were contrary to the norm. Surrogates whose own risk attitudes were contrary to social norms showed larger self-other discrepancies, F(1, 128) = 5.38, p = .022, ηp2 = .04. These results demonstrate that perceived social norms about risk can predict self-other discrepancies in risky decisions, even when the target’s preferences are known and at odds with the social norm. Further, the surrogates’ numeracy, empathy, and propensity to take risks influence the extent to which risky decisions for others resemble risky decisions for oneself.

scholarly journals Association between sexual violence and unintended pregnancy among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Idowu Ajayi ◽  
Henrietta Chinelo Ezegbe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Unintended Pregnancies

Abstract Background Unintended pregnancy has dire consequences on the health and socio-economic wellbeing of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) (aged 15-24 years). While most studies tend to focus on lack of access to contraceptive information and services, and poverty as the main contributing factor to early-unintended pregnancies, the influence of sexual violence has received limited attention. Understanding the link between sexual violence and unintended pregnancy is critical towards developing a multifaceted intervention to reduce unintended pregnancies among AGYW in South Africa, a country with high teenage pregnancy rates. MethodsDrawing from cross-sectional data obtained among AGYW in a South African university between June and November 2018, we estimated the magnitude of unintended pregnancy among AGYW and also examined the effect of sexual violence on unintended pregnancy. A final sample of 451 girls aged 17-24 years, selected using stratified sampling, were included in the analysis. We used adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of sexual violence on unintended pregnancy. ResultsThe analysis shows that 41.9% of all respondents had experienced an unintended pregnancy, and 25.9% of those unintended pregnancies ended in abortions. Unintended pregnancy was higher among survivors of sexual violence (54.4%) compared to those who never experienced sexual abuse (34.3%). In the multivariable analysis, sexual violence was consistently and robustly associated with increased odds of having an unintended pregnancy (AOR:1.70; 95% CI: 1.08-2.68).ConclusionAddressing unintended pregnancies among AGYW in South Africa requires interventions that not only increase access to contraceptive information and services but also reduce sexual violence and cater for survivors.

Voice Without Choice? Investigating Adolescent Girls’ Agency in Marital Decision-making in Niger

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-281
Author(s):  
Grace Saul ◽  
Aïssa Diarra ◽  
Andrea J. Melnikas ◽  
Sajeda Amin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Child Marriage ◽  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Parental Consent ◽  
Community Norms ◽  
Factors Influencing

This article uses qualitative data from Niger to examine adolescent girls’ perceptions of their own agency in marriage decisions and contextual factors influencing these perceptions. We find that girls make marital decisions within a context that stresses parental consent and community approval, places a high value on obedience, and is constrained by limited opportunities, gendered distribution of labor, and dominant social norms promoting an early and narrow ‘window of opportunity’ for marriage. Findings demonstrate that interventions aiming to delay marriage in Niger must work to influence both community norms supporting child marriage and girls’ own motivations in martial decision-making.

scholarly journals Evaluating user-centered interventions in optimizing utilization of HIV and pregnancy prevention services among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya: a study protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Jane Mutegi ◽  
Mary Mugambi ◽  
Daniel Were ◽  
Abednego Musau ◽  
Aigelgel Kirumburu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Pregnancy Prevention ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Prevention Services ◽  
Resource Setting ◽  
User Centered

Background: Globally, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents; sub-Saharan Africa contributes more than two-thirds of all HIV-related adolescent deaths. In Kenya, HIV incidence remains high among youth (15–24 years), with women disproportionately affected. Morbidity and mortality are compounded by a high rate of early and unwanted pregnancies. Existing prevention efforts to reduce youth vulnerabilities overwhelmingly focus on HIV alone, with limited efforts made to address concurrent factors that increase vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) to HIV infection and unplanned pregnancies. Jilinde, is a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded large-scale project that supports the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Kenya. This manuscript presents a protocol for a study that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive package of user-centered interventions to optimize uptake of HIV and pregnancy prevention services among AGYW in four Kenyan counties. Methods: The study employed a concurrent mixed-methods design including two parallel before and after population-based cross-sectional surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. Study participants included 1,280 AGYW, 1,080 individuals from the general population, 80 health service providers, and 32 county health managers. The study involved a formative, implementation phase and endline assessment. Survey data was collected using Research Electronic Data Capture and analyzed using regression modelling while adjusting for confounders.  Qualitative data will be analyzed using grounded theory techniques using NVivo 12.0. Discussion: This study will uncover useful insights on the effectiveness of user-centered interventions in increasing concurrent utilization of blended HIV and pregnancy prevention interventions in a routine low resource setting. The findings will be disseminated through technical briefs, manuscripts, conferences, and workshops. The consolidated evidence could inform the scale-up of integrated HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health interventions targeting AGYW.

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