Caregiver attitudes towards HIV testing and contraceptive services for adolescents in Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around adolescent sexuality, parental authority, and family communication strongly shape adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Caregivers widely endorsed norms that adolescents are “too young for sex” and should not seek SRH services without parental knowledge, which discourages independent access to contraception. In contrast, HIV testing […]
Barriers to access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among young Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and gender norms strongly shape young Rohingya refugees’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Norms that stigmatize premarital sex, frame SRH as appropriate only for married couples, and prioritize women’s reproductive roles limit young people’s ability to seek information and services. These norms interact with age, gender, and […]
Intention to switch from short-acting to long-acting reversible contraceptives among refugee women in Ethiopia: application of the theory of planned behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly perceived expectations and approval from partners, family members, and peers—play a critical role in shaping refugee women’s contraceptive decision-making. The study found that subjective norms were the strongest predictor of women’s intention to switch from short-acting contraceptives (SAC) to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). This suggests that contraceptive choices in […]
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 […]
How adolescent motherhood is perceived and influenced by sociocultural factors: A sociological qualitative study of Sindh province, Pakistan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study shows that strong social norms surrounding early marriage, fertility, and women’s roles drive adolescent motherhood in rural Sindh, Pakistan. Girls are expected to marry soon after puberty and prove their value in the family by becoming mothers quickly—often by producing sons. Extended family members, particularly older women, reinforce these […]
Fear-based parent-child sexual health communication in rural southwestern Uganda: drivers and influences
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Fear-based parent–child communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in rural southwestern Uganda reflects strong social norms related to family reputation, gender roles, and moral responsibility. Mothers are expected to regulate daughters’ sexuality to protect family honour, while fathers often remain emotionally distant due to norms linking masculinity with authority and […]
Psychosocial determinants of parents’ intention to support reproductive health education in Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Parents’ intentions to support reproductive health education (RHE) in Ghana are strongly shaped by social norms, particularly perceptions of whether influential figures such as religious leaders, community leaders, spouses, and peers approve of or support the program. Both descriptive norms (beliefs about whether others support RHE) and injunctive norms (beliefs about […]