Balancing pragmatism, norms and power relations: a qualitative study among post-abortion intrauterine device users in central Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around gender roles, fertility expectations, and male dominance in reproductive decision-making both constrain and shape women’s contraceptive use; however, women actively navigate and resist these norms through strategies such as asserting bodily autonomy, relying on pragmatic and economic reasoning, and using contraception covertly. Compassionate counselling can help shift perceived […]
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” […]
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, […]
“Everyone has their own problems and realities so the religious community cannot judge someone.” Contraception motivations and perceived consequences among young contraceptive users who practice a religion in Burkina Faso
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Religious norms in Burkina Faso commonly frame contraception as sinful or unacceptable—especially for unmarried women and for limiting births—creating strong injunctive norms against contraceptive use. However, young women often prioritize their health, economic realities, and fear of stigma from premarital pregnancy over these religious prescriptions. Because contraception is viewed as a […]
Situational context of home-based sexual education in urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria–evidence from a qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—including expectations of abstinence, gender double standards, and cultural taboos surrounding sexuality—shape parent–adolescent communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in urban slums. These norms often limit open discussion and reinforce unequal gender expectations, while adolescents increasingly rely on peers, “streetwise” knowledge, and social media for SRH information. Effective sexuality […]