Use of Digital Media by Adolescents for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Communication in Sub-saharan Africa: a Protocol for Systematic Review

Author(s):  
Josephine Akua Ackah ◽  
Kobina Esia-Donkoh ◽  
Antoinette P. Amponsah ◽  
Wonder Agbemavi ◽  
Vincent B. Bediako ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundWithin the sub-Saharan African region, there is a growing concern for sexual and reproductive health and rights communication, and more particularly, for adolescents. Given the existing barriers associated with face-to-face access, the need to use digital media to access information and services has become desirable and imperative, especially so due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, a synthesis of evidence that informs adolescents’ digital media engagements for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) communication is limited. This systematic review therefore aims to examine and synthesize evidence on use of digital media for sexual and reproductive health and rights communication by adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. MethodsA search for peer reviewed articles will be conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Google Scholar with emphasis on those published between 2000 and 2020. Only observational and qualitative studies will be included. Quality assessment of included articles will be done using standardized checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Both descriptive and narrative summaries will be used to appraise evidence from included studies.DiscussionThis review will be essential in providing information on the types of digital media adolescents use; the various SRHR issues they use this platform to address; their reasons for using it and associated challenges. It will also contribute to the advocacy for the inclusion of these technologies in the teaching and learning, provision of and access to SRHR information and services by teachers, public health providers and peer educators in the sub-region.Registration and Reporting This systematic has been registered in PROSPERO, an international prospective register of systematic reviews, with registration number, CRD42020211491. This protocol follows the PRISMA-P guidelines for reporting systematic reviews (see Additional file 1).

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 97-106
Author(s):  
Muriel Mac-Seing ◽  
Kate Zinszer ◽  
Charity Oga Omenka ◽  
Pierre de Beaudrap ◽  
Fereshteh Mehrabi ◽  
...  

Twenty-five years ago, the International Conference on Population and Development highlighted the need to address sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights on a global scale. The sub-Saharan Africa region continues to have the highest levels of maternal mortality and HIV, primarily affecting the most vulnerable populations. Recognising the critical role of policy in understanding population health, we conducted a systematic review of original primary research which examined the relationships between equity-focused legislation and policy and the utilisation of SRH services by vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched nine bibliographic databases for relevant articles published between 1994 and 2019. Thirty-two studies, conducted in 14 sub-Saharan African countries, met the inclusion criteria. They focused on maternal health service utilisation, either through specific fee reduction/removal policies, or through healthcare reforms and insurance schemes to increase SRH service utilisation. Findings across most of the studies showed that health-related legislation and policy promoted an increase in service utilisation, over time, especially for antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and facility-based delivery. However, social health inequalities persisted among subgroups of women. Neither the reviewed studies nor the policies specifically addressed youth, people living with HIV and people with disabilities. In the era of the sustainable development goals, addressing health inequities in the context of social determinants of health becomes unavoidable. Systematic and rigorous quantitative and qualitative research, including longitudinal policy evaluation, is required to understand the complex relationships between policy addressing upstream social determinants of health and health service utilisation.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e044398
Author(s):  
Beatrice W Maina ◽  
Kenneth Juma ◽  
Emmy Kageha Igonya ◽  
Jane Osindo ◽  
Hesborn Wao ◽  
...  

IntroductionEarly sexual debut is associated with poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes across the life course. A majority of interventions aimed at delaying sexual debut among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been implemented in schools with mixed findings on the effectiveness of such interventions. This systematic review will summarise and synthesise existing evidence on the effectiveness of school-based interventions in delaying sexual debut among adolescents aged 10–19 years.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a comprehensive database search of peer-reviewed studies published in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, HINARI and EBSCO (PsycINFO, Global Health, CINAHL) and in Cochrane library, National Institute of Health and Turning Research into Practice databases for ongoing studies yet to be published. All studies conducted in SSA between January 2009 and December 2020, regardless of the study design, will be included. Two authors will independently screen all retrieved records and relevant data on sexual debut extracted.Data will be pooled using the random effects model. Dichotomous outcomes will be reported as risk ratios and continuous data as mean difference at 95% CI. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I² statistic. Findings will be presented in tables and charts, while providing a description of all included studies, themes and concepts drawn from literature.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at relevant conferences and other convening focusing on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.


Author(s):  
Ifeoma Chinyere Ofurum

Background:  The sexual and reproductive health of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa should be of paramount importance and, therefore, given the attention it deserves. The advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and subsequent access to it has aided millions of infected people to live a normal life. However, being on ART is not enough as most of these people despite being on the therapy are faced with needs and concerns that have shaped their sexual behaviour. This review aims to bring to perspective the sexual behaviour, needs, and concerns regarding the sexual and reproductive health of adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a view to reducing the disease's ultimate burden in the region. Method: An extensive search of articles was carried out using the reporting systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA). The database search was from JSTORE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Medline, Cochrane, Semantic scholar, and Pubmed. Results: A total of 3,984 results were obtained from the search. The application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria finally gave ten studies which were reviewed. The review revealed, among other things, that a good number of adults living with HIV have multiple sex partners, and some still have sex without condoms. Besides, most of them indicated the need for their own biological children, especially after being on ART for a while. Some women living with HIV in SSA do not have a right to decide on their sexual and reproductive health. Recommendation: It was recommended that there be intense re-orientation and health education for this group of people. Women need to be empowered and taught their rights.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Rose Ninsiima ◽  
Isabel Kazanga Chiumia ◽  
Rawlance Ndejjo

Abstract Background Despite the global agreements on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and rights, access to and utilisation of these services among the youth/adolescents remain unsatisfactory in low- and middle-income countries which are a significant barrier to progress in this area. This review established factors influencing access and utilisation of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFSRHS) among the youth in sub-Saharan Africa to inform programmatic interventions. Methodology A systematic review of studies published between January 2009 and April 2019 using PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases was conducted. Studies were screened based on the inclusion criteria of barriers and facilitators of implementation of YFSRHS, existing national policies on provision of YFSRHS, and youth’s perspectives on these services. Findings A total of 23,400 studies were identified through database search and additional 5 studies from other sources. After the full-text screening, 20 studies from 7 countries met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Structural barriers were the negative attitude of health workers and their being unskilled and individual barriers included lack of knowledge among youth regarding YFSRHS. Facilitators of utilisation of the services were mostly structural in nature which included community outreaches, health education, and policy recommendations to improve implementation of the quality of health services and clinics for adolescents/youth to fit their needs and preferences. Conclusion Stakeholder interventions focusing on implementing YFSRHS should aim at intensive training of health workers and put in place quality implementation standard guidelines in clinics to offer services according to youth’s needs and preferences. In addition, educating the youth through community outreaches and health education programs for those in schools can facilitate utilisation and scale up of the service.


2010 ◽  
pp. 143-170
Author(s):  
Riikka Shemeikka

Finland is one of the donor countries that is most supportive in family planning (FP), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and gender issues. This study examines Finnish ODA for FP and SRHR: its decision-making structure, other stakeholders and funding levels. Data consists of documents from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) and interviews conducted at the MFA and with other experts. While Parliament decides on the overall level of ODA funding, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development has considerable autonomy. Other stakeholders such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development and the Family Federation of Finland (Vestliitto) engage in advocacy work and have influenced development policy. Although the Development Policy 2007 mentions the importance of health and SRHR issues and HIV/AIDS is a cross-cutting issue, interviewees stated that the importance of health and SRHR in ODA has declined and that the implementation of cross-cutting issues is challenging. Multilateral funding for UNFPA, UNAIDS and GFATM, and thus the proportion of SRHR funding within the health sector, is however currently rising. Funding for population-related activities has increased and represented 4.8% of Finlands total ODA in 2009. Almost all of this funding is directed towards basic reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issues and the majority is directed through multilateral channels (78% in 2009), mainly UNFPA and UNAIDS. IPPF, Ipas and Marie Stopes International also receive support.


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