Individual experiences, social policies, and environmental exposure shape beliefs, norms and ideologies about sexuality. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a school health club training programme in improving adolescents' knowledge and perceptions of gender norms and ideologies about sexuality. This was an intervention study among in-school adolescent boys and girls in 12 secondary schools in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study assessed multi-level factors that shape young people's attitudes towards gender biases about rape, sexual, and domestic violence in intimate relationships. This cross-sectional study was undertaken in three urban and three rural communities in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria. Data were collected from 1,020 young people using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Peer education has contributed to increased knowledge and preventive behaviors of adolescents toward reproductive health matters with the unique feature of maintaining peer-to-peer learning ability and sustaining intervention gains. This study examined the factors that predict the agency of in-school adolescents as peer educators on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents.
Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 257 adolescent boys and girls, purposively selected from six public secondary schools that had received a package of interventions that aimed to improve peer-to-peer education on SRHR in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Background: Young people (aged 10 to 24 years) in sub-Saharan Africa bear a huge and disproportionate burden of poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes due to inequalities and discrimination in accessing sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS). This study assessed the experiences and perceptions of discrimination among young people seeking SRH services in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) using an intersectionality lens.
Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was undertaken in six local government areas (LGAs) in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria.
Background: It is important to understand the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents from the adolescents themselves to address their needs properly. Hence, this paper provides new knowledge on the information needs on SRH among adolescent boys and girls in selected secondary schools in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria.
Method: A comparative assessment was conducted among adolescent boys and girls in public secondary schools that received a specific school-based SRH intervention (group A) and those that did not receive the intervention (group B).
Background: Adolescents and their communities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria have poor attitudes and beliefs towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This paper reports on the effects of a community-embedded intervention that focused on creating positive changes in the attitudes and beliefs of adolescents and community members to enhance adolescents' access to SRH information and services.
Methods: This study adopted the Qualitative Impact Assessment approach to evaluate the changes in attitudes and beliefs about the SRH of adolescents from the perspectives of the beneficiaries of a community-embedded intervention namely, adolescents, parents, school teachers, and community leaders.
Objectives: Negative views of healthcare providers towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services deter adolescents from seeking vital SRH services. This paper assessed the impact of an intervention on the views and perceptions of healthcare providers towards the provision of adolescent SRH services.
Design And Setting: A descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative study was conducted between 14 October and 19 November 2021 in six local government areas (LGAs) in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria, after the implementation of an intervention comprising of training and supportive supervision.
Background: Adolescents are vulnerable to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks yet, have poor utilisation of SRH services due to personal, social, and demographic influences. This study aimed to compare the experiences of adolescents that had received targeted adolescent SRH interventions and those that did not and evaluated the determinants of awareness, value perception, and societal support for SRH service utilisation among secondary school adolescents in eastern Nigeria.
Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional study of 515 adolescents in twelve randomly selected public secondary schools, grouped into schools that had received targeted adolescent SRH interventions and those that did not, across six local government areas in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Background: Family planning (FP) is an important public health intervention that is proven to reduce unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality. Increasing investments in FP would ensure stability and better maternal health outcomes in Nigeria. However, evidence is needed to make a case for more domestic investment in family planning in Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sexual and reproductive health choices and behaviors of adolescents are shaped by gender norms and ideologies which are grounded in cultural beliefs. This study examined the perspectives of adolescents about the influence of gender norms and ideologies on sexuality.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in three urban and three rural communities in south-eastern Nigeria using quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Objectives: This study explored the perceptions of adult stakeholders on adolescents sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, variations of perceived needs by different social stratifiers and adolescent's perceived interventions to address these needs. This will provide evidence that could be useful for policy and programme reviews for improving access and use of services in to meet the SRH needs of adolescents.
Design: A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted in Ebonyi state, Southeast, Nigeria.
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues constitute key health concerns as some adolescents are directly or indirectly involved in sexual engagements, with increased risks and health consequences. The study aims to explore adolescents' perceptions about dating and permissive sexual behaviors which will contribute to designing sexual and reproductive health interventions. This paper adds to knowledge on adolescents' perceptions about dating, pre-marital, casual, transactional and age-disparate sex in southeastern, Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Misconceptions about the usefulness of condoms and other contraceptives still expose many unmarried adolescents to the risk of unwanted teenage pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). This study explored beliefs and misconceptions about condoms and other contraceptives among adolescents in Ebonyi state, south-east Nigeria.
Method: A qualitative study was undertaken in six local government areas in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria.
A cross-sectional survey of adolescents and heads of households was done in six urban and rural local government areas in Ebonyi state, Nigeria in August 2018. Modified cluster sampling technique was used to select households from which eligible adolescent boys and girls were recruited. This data article describes two datasets that, for the first time, expansively describe adolescents' sexual and reproductive behaviors in Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Nigeria has the second largest number of adolescents and young people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS contribute to spread of HIV, and constrain uptake of preventive services. This paper explored misconceptions about HIV/AIDS among adolescents in south-east Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Parent-child communication is an effective tool for fostering healthy sexual and reproductive behaviours among adolescents. However, the topic is underexplored in Nigeria. This study examines how parents and caregivers communicate sexual and reproductive health-related matters with adolescents aged 13-18 years in Nigeria.
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