Teenage Pregnancy and Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Marriage and Pregnancy: Primary Data Analysis in Akatsi North, Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly peer pressure, gender norms, and stigma around sexual and reproductive health—play a central role in shaping adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors related to marriage and pregnancy. Peer norms strongly influence earlier desired timing of marriage and childbirth, while more gender-equitable norms (e.g., valuing girls’ education) are associated with delaying these […]
Crossed the line’: Sexuality discourses of motherhood under 15 years in Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Motherhood under age 15 in Uganda is constructed as a violation of moral and social norms—“crossing the line”—through intertwined religious and cultural discourses that stigmatize young mothers and regulate their sexuality. These norms shape not only community attitudes but also policies and service provision, resulting in restricted access to sexual and […]
Inequitable gender norms and its associated factors among university students in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study, 2022
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Inequitable gender norms remain widely endorsed among university students in southern Ethiopia and are strongly shaped by gender socialization processes, particularly among men. These norms normalize male dominance, women’s subservience, and acceptance of gender-based violence, with implications for sexual and reproductive health, access to services, and broader gender inequality. Importantly, attitudes […]
Social norms and maternal health information-seeking behavior among adolescent girls: A qualitative study in a slum of Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms strongly regulate adolescent girls’ access to maternal health information by reinforcing stigma, restricting discussion of reproductive health (especially for unmarried girls), and prioritizing family and community control over girls’ autonomy. Norms around early pregnancy after marriage, reliance on elder female relatives, and sanctions such as labeling girls as “immoral” […]
Contraceptive use intention and determinants among nonuser reproductive-aged married women in Ethiopia based on the theory of planned behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly perceived approval from partners and communities—play a central role in shaping contraceptive intentions. Positive subjective norms, supportive partner attitudes, and community environments that reduce stigma and encourage discussion significantly increase women’s intention to use contraception, highlighting that shifting normative climates is critical for improving reproductive autonomy and uptake. Objectives: […]
Determinants of emergency contraceptive use among female senior high school students in the Akuapem south municipality, Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly cultural, religious, and moral expectations—play a critical role in shaping adolescents’ contraceptive behaviors by discouraging emergency contraceptive (EC) use despite high awareness. While subjective norms influenced intentions, they were less important than individual attitudes and perceived control in determining actual use, indicating that social disapproval creates hesitation but does […]
Using Vignettes to Gain Insights Into Social Norms Related to Voluntary Family Planning and Gender-Based Violence in South Sudan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in South Sudan strongly shape family planning (FP) behaviors through entrenched patriarchy, pronatalist expectations, and community enforcement mechanisms. Male authority over reproductive decisions and the expectation of large families restrict women’s agency and link contraceptive use to stigma, violence, and moral suspicion. However, emerging supportive norms—such as valuing girls’ […]
Prevalence and predictors of modern contraceptive method utilization among married couples in the pastoralist communities of Fentale district, Eastern Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly religious beliefs, gender roles, and expectations around fertility—strongly shape contraceptive use in pastoralist communities. Norms that value large families, discourage contraception on religious grounds, and reinforce male-dominated decision-making limit women’s agency. Misperceptions and community-level expectations further sustain low uptake, indicating that interventions must address normative beliefs and couple dynamics, […]
A qualitative analysis of women’s reproductive agency and postpartum family planning in Maharashtra, India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms strongly constrain postpartum family planning (PPFP) through expectations around son preference, limited female autonomy, and the perception of contraception as a sensitive and stigmatized topic. Women’s reproductive agency is often mediated by husbands and in-laws, with covert contraceptive use emerging as a strategy to navigate restrictive norms. Norms around […]
Association between gender norms and attitudes towards abortion among very young adolescents in Kenya and Nigeria: a quantitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms are formed early in adolescence and significantly shape attitudes toward abortion and sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Among very young adolescents (VYAs), beliefs related to sexual double standards, normative heterosexual relationships, and romantic expectations influence whether adolescents support or reject abortion. The study highlights that early socialisation into gender […]