Do Sexual Partners Talk to Each Other About HIV? Exploring Factors Associated with HIV-Related Partner Communication Among Men and Women in Tanzania.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how community-level gender norms and social engagement influence communication between sexual partners about HIV risk in Tanzania. For both men and women, social engagement was positively associated with communication, while gender-equitable attitudes were particularly predictive of communication for men. Among women, discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV […]
Does girls’ empowerment predict contraceptive intentions? Evidence from a survey of secondary school girls in Northwest Nigeria
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores that social norms around fertility, marriage, and gender roles interact with personal empowerment in complex ways. Even when girls hold progressive beliefs, they remain constrained by prevailing community norms and fears—especially about infertility and social judgment. To shift intentions and behaviors, interventions must not only improve individual knowledge […]
Drivers of child marriages for girls: A prospective study in a low-income African set.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This research underscores that interventions solely focused on boosting girls’ agency or spreading legal awareness are unlikely to substantially reduce child marriage rates. Instead, changing community-level social norms — especially caregivers’ and community leaders’ attitudes toward the acceptability of early marriage — and expanding girls’ real-life opportunities, particularly in education, are […]
Do perceived contraception attitudes influence abortion stigma? Evidence from Luanda, Angola
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Luanda, Angola, abortion stigma is shaped not only by direct views on abortion but also by perceived norms around contraception and unintended pregnancy. Supportive partner attitudes toward contraception are linked to lower abortion stigma, while community and media messages promoting contraception may unintentionally increase stigma by reinforcing expectations that pregnancies […]
Correlates of condom use and condom-use motivation among young South Africans
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around gender roles, trust in relationships, and HIV-related beliefs significantly influence condom use motivation among adolescents in South Africa. The study highlights how condom use is not just a health behavior but a socially situated act, interpreted through norms about fidelity, respect, and masculinity. Beliefs that condom use implies […]
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-level HIV Stigma as a Driver for HIV Transmission Risk Behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Sierra Leone: A Population-Based Study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how community-level HIV stigma—specifically stigmatizing attitudes and disclosure concerns—can shape normative beliefs that influence HIV transmission risk behaviors. Stigmatizing norms contribute to low condom usage and increased rates of self-reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially among women. These norms reflect broader societal fears and discriminatory attitudes that marginalize […]
Condom use at last sex by young men in Ethiopia: the effect of descriptive and injunctive norms
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights the importance of changing community-level norms that stigmatize condom use among young men. Programs should encourage open peer communication and reduce shame related to seeking condoms. Addressing broader attitudes toward premarital sex, masculinity, and gender relationships is essential to creating an environment where young men feel empowered to […]
Community Gender Norms and Gender Gaps in Adolescent Agency in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that community-level gender norms significantly shape adolescent agency and gender gaps in Nepal. In communities with more gender-equitable norms, adolescent girls show greater gains in intrinsic and instrumental agency compared to boys, reversing or narrowing traditional gender gaps. However, these norms are not uniformly associated with all forms […]
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 […]