Addressing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Niger
The aim of the study is to better understand adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs in order to inform the design of interventions and policies that improve access to and use of adolescent SRH services in Niger. A mixed-methods stu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26254858/addressing-adolescent-sexual-reproductive-health-niger http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24432 |
| Summary: | The aim of the study is to better
understand adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH)
needs in order to inform the design of interventions and
policies that improve access to and use of adolescent SRH
services in Niger. A mixed-methods study was conducted and
included: (i) a quantitative analysis of Niger’s Demographic
Health Survey/Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS/MICS)
2012; (ii) 17 focus group discussions conducted in urban and
rural areas among 128 adolescents; and (iii) a set of
recommendations to improve access to and use of SRH services
for adolescents in the country. The study found that age at
first marriage among adolescent females is 15.7 years and is
followed soon thereafter by sexual debut (15.9 years).
According to focus group discussions (FGDs), adolescent’s
boys and girls start spending time together at 12 years in
urban areas and 10 years in rural areas; this may lead to
sexual intercourse in exchange for material and financial
resources. Over 70 percent of adolescents have given birth
by 18 years of age. Although knowledge about modern
contraception is high (73 percent among female adolescents
15-19 years of age), the majority of adolescent girls do not
use contraception due to societal and cultural beliefs.
Moreover, FGDs reveal that the main barriers to use of SRH
services is a lack of privacy and confidentiality, as well
as finances, despite the government’s elimination of user
fees. The government has increased supply side interventions
for adolescents and prioritized adolescents on the national
agenda by approving the Family Planning Action Plan
(2012-2020) and the National Plan for Adolescent Sexual and
Reproductive Health (2011), however these plans need to be
monitored and evaluated to determine their effectiveness in
reaching this population group. There is also a need to
increase multi-sectoral demand-side interventions in the country. |
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