Adolescent pregnancy and social norms in Zambia
Outcomes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study highlights the contradiction between restrictive norms (expecting abstinence) and permissive practices (pressuring girls into relationships for material needs). It underscores that changing adolescent pregnancy rates requires shifting harmful community-level norms, improving communication about sexuality, and promoting supportive environments where girls can access contraception without stigma.
Objectives This study aimed to understand how gendered social norms in rural Zambia make adolescent girls vulnerable to unintended pregnancy. It specifically explored the dominant descriptive norms (what people do) and injunctive norms (what people think others approve of) shaping young women’s sexual and reproductive behavior.
Methods The study used a qualitative design combining individual interviews, focus group discussions, and peer-to-peer interviews. Participants included girls and boys aged 13–18, parents, and young mothers, drawn mainly from the Research Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls (RISE) study sites in southern Zambia. Analysis combined pre-set themes and inductive coding using grounded theory.
Intervention Details The research was embedded in the RISE program, a randomized controlled trial testing economic support to girls, plus community-level interventions like parent meetings and youth clubs offering sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education.
Results The study found strong injunctive norms disapproving of premarital sex and adolescent pregnancy, leading to secrecy around relationships and contraceptive use. Girls reported pressure to engage in relationships for material support, despite norms condemning such behavior. Pregnant girls faced stigma, isolation, and lost friendships, while boys often avoided responsibility. Parents and communities frequently blamed girls or their families, rarely acknowledging male roles or structural factors. Th…
Conclusions Gendered social norms, combined with poverty and poor SRH knowledge, place girls at high risk of unintended pregnancy. Effective interventions need to go beyond individual behavior change and address norms at family, community, and societal levels to enable young people to protect their reproductive health.
Norms Addressed
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