Multiple levels of social influence on adolescent sexual and reproductive health decision-making and behaviors in Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms at interpersonal, community, and macro-social levels significantly shape adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviors in Ghana. Norms that stigmatize adolescent sexuality—rooted in religious and cultural expectations of abstinence and female modesty—limit young women’s access to family planning (FP) services, contribute to secrecy, coercion, and judgment, and ultimately […]
It’s a woman’s thing: Gender roles sustaining the practice of female genital mutilation among the Kassena-Nankana of northern Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in northern Ghana is largely sustained by women themselves through social roles, peer pressure, and cultural expectations. While patriarchy provides the broader context, women—particularly mothers, co-wives, and female elders—enforce FGM/C as a condition for respect, marriageability, and community acceptance. Efforts […]
Gender inequality and the use of maternal healthcare services in rural sub-Saharan Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that social norms—specifically community-level acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV)—negatively influence women’s use of maternal healthcare services in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The findings demonstrate that these social norms operate independently of women’s individual attitudes or decision-making power, underlining the need for policy interventions that address gender norms at […]
Factors associated with sexual and reproductive health stigma among adolescent girls in Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights how pervasive gendered social norms frame adolescent sexuality as shameful and dangerous. These norms fuel stigma around contraception, pregnancy, and SRH care-seeking. Interventions must challenge these beliefs through comprehensive SRH education, supportive dialogue, and community-wide norm change efforts that empower girls with information, confidence, and access to services. […]
Cross-national and multilevel correlates of partner violence: an analysis of data from population-based surveys
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms justifying wife beating and endorsing male authority over women’s behavior are strongly associated with higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). These gender norms not only influence national IPV prevalence but also modify how individual-level factors like education and employment affect women’s risk, highlighting the importance of transforming harmful norms […]
Community influences on modern contraceptive use among young women in low and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional multi-country analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms related to ideal family size, early marriage, and gender roles—particularly those that limit women’s autonomy—act as major barriers to contraceptive use. Changing these norms through community-wide interventions, education, and women’s empowerment is essential for increasing contraceptive access and supporting young women’s reproductive agency. Objectives: This study examined how community-level characteristics […]
Bad girl and unmet family planning need among Sub-Saharan African adolescents: the role of sexual and reproductive health stigma
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gendered social norms that shame adolescent girls for being sexually active are central to the stigma they face. These norms create major barriers to accessing family planning and must be directly challenged through stigma-reduction strategies. Objectives: This study examined how sexual and reproductive health (SRH) stigma affects adolescent girls’ ability to […]
Approaches to Regulating Adolescent Sexual Behavior in Ghana: Qualitative Evidence from Somanya and Adidome
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights how collective community norms — especially informal surveillance and shared social responsibility — play a key role in delaying adolescent sexual behavior. In Adidome, strong communal norms and active neighborhood monitoring contributed to lower HIV rates, while in Somanya, weakened cultural practices and lower community cohesion were linked […]
Access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Accra, Ghana: An exploratory qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Accra, Ghana, gendered and cultural norms deeply influence adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Social expectations stigmatize sexuality, especially for girls, who are often judged harshly for seeking contraception or information. Boys face pressure to perform masculinity through sexual activity. These norms contribute to shame, misinformation, and […]
A Qualitative Exploration of Factors Explaining Non-Uptake of Hormonal Contraceptives Among Adolescent Girls in Rural Ghana: The Adolescent Girls’ Perspective.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Prevailing social and gender norms in rural Ghana strongly discourage adolescent girls from using hormonal contraceptives, associating their use with sexual promiscuity and moral failure. These norms—reinforced by families, religious teachings, and the wider community—create an environment of stigma, shame, and fear. Girls internalize these expectations, leading to reluctance in seeking […]