Key Social Norms Take-aways This study explores the tension healthcare providers face between upholding adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health rights and navigating restrictive societal norms in Kisumu, Kenya. While the study does not explicitly measure social norms using constructs like descriptive or injunctive norms, it uses two stigma-focused tools—the Stigmatising Attitudes, Beliefs and Actions Scale (SABAS) for abortion and the Contraceptive Use Stigma Scale (CUSS) for contraception—to assess individual attitudes. However, qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs) offer insight into perceived societal expectations and sanctions, revealing how cultural, religious, and legal beliefs shape providers’ views. Community norms often portray adolescent sexuality as immoral, contraceptive use as promiscuous, and abortion as sinful or criminal. These collective beliefs influence provider behavior and reinforce stigma in service provision. The findings emphasize the need for interventions that address both individual stigma and the broader normative environment constraining adolescent reproductive health care.

Objectives To examine stigmatizing attitudes related to adolescent pregnancy, abortion, and contraceptive use among healthcare providers delivering postabortion care (PAC) in a low-resource setting in western Kenya.

Methods A mixed methods, convergent design was used. Quantitative data were collected using the 18-item SABAS and the 7-item CUSS from 74 and 44 PAC providers, respectively. Qualitative data were gathered through two focus group discussions with 12 midwives and physicians. Analyses included descriptive statistics, psychometric validation, and qualitative content analysis.

Results While 92% of respondents agreed that women who had abortions should be treated equally, 27% viewed abortion as a sin, 30% believed it could become habitual, and 35% thought it might influence others. Regarding contraception, 39% associated adolescent use with promiscuity, 36% said it should be reserved for married women, and 20% believed it could cause infertility. FGDs highlighted a deep conflict between rights-based care and dominant societal norms. Providers described barriers stemming from unclear abortion policy, religious influence, and community resistance to youth contraception.

Conclusions PAC providers work within a context where personal and professional values often conflict with prevailing societal norms. Despite some support for adolescents’ rights, stigma and misinformation persist. Addressing these challenges requires policy clarity and stigma reduction interventions that equip providers to deliver non-judgmental, rights-based care aligned with adolescents’ health needs.