Adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health information needs and barriers in Cape Town

Health SA Gesondheid

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health information needs and barriers in Cape Town
 
Creator Holtman, Natheerah Bimerew, Million Mthimunye, Katlego
 
Subject — adolescent girls; adolescent sexual health; barriers to reproductive health; healthcare accessibility; information seeking; reproductive health needs; sexual and reproductive health; South Africa
Description Background: The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information needs of adolescent girls in developing countries are not being met.Aim: The study explored the sexual and reproductive health information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers among adolescent girls in the Western Cape, South Africa.Setting: The study was conducted in the South eastern sub district of Cape Town metropole.Methods: The study was conducted at one of the high schools in a highly populated area in the Cape Town metropole. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 adolescent girls aged 16–17 years, who were recruited using purposive sampling techniques. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis framework.Results: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) adolescent girls exhibit limited awareness and comprehension of sexual and reproductive health; (2) the information-seeking behaviours of adolescent girls regarding sexual and reproductive health and (3) barriers to seeking information.Conclusion: The establishment of primary healthcare facilities that are friendly to adolescents, combined with impactful reproductive health education and improved parent–adolescent girl relations, is crucial for promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls.Contribution: The study offered valuable insights into the SRH information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers faced by adolescent girls in accessing SRH information sources and services. These barriers include lack of knowledge about SRH and contraception, challenges within family dynamics, difficulties accessing friendly healthcare services and encountering negative attitudes from healthcare professionals.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor
Date 2024-10-10
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Qualitative research
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2650
 
Source Health SA Gesondheid; Vol 29 (2024); 11 pages 2071-9736 1025-9848
 
Language eng
 
Relation
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https://hsag.co.za/index.php/hsag/article/view/2650/html https://hsag.co.za/index.php/hsag/article/view/2650/epub https://hsag.co.za/index.php/hsag/article/view/2650/xml https://hsag.co.za/index.php/hsag/article/view/2650/pdf
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa; Western Cape; Cape Town — Female, age 16-17
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Natheerah Holtman, Million Bimerew, Katlego Mthimunye https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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