Unlocking spaces for comprehensive SRHR

Background

The prevalence rate of teenage pregnancies is on the increase Zimbabwe and this has also had an effect on the maternal mortality as unsafe abortion are thriving in the backyards. The program seeks to investigate knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices pertaining to contraceptive use among adolescent girls and women in Zimbabwe. The program will also investigate the availability, accessibility, acceptability and affordability of contraceptives to adolescent girls and women. 

The program seeks to address the socio-cultural  and  economic  contexts that facilitate adolescents  to  engage  in  risky  sexual  behaviour which put them at risk of unwanted pregnancies and contracting  HIV  and  other  sexually  transmitted infections. In addition, we will conduct workshops to increase awareness around SRHR issues as adolescent girls have limited information on sexual reproductive health. We are also seeking to engage religious and cultural leaders as some of the attitudes emanate  from  the  cultural  norms that  adolescents must not engage in sexual activity before marriage, especially  girls  who  are  expected  to  marry  as virgin hence the subject of  adolescent  sexuality  remains  a  taboo. Parent to child communication is also another aspect that the program seeks to encourage as parents  are  perceived  to  be  the  logical  source  of information but  they  often  do  not  discuss  sexuality issues with their children.

Objectives

The broad objective of the program is to establish the importance of reproductive health education and contraceptive use among adolescents in Dzivarasekwa District. The study specifically sought to:

• Identify the  levels of  contraceptive use among adolescents
• Examine the factors under girding contraceptive use among adolescents;
• Investigate  knowledge,  attitudes,  beliefs  and practices  pertaining  to  use  of  contraceptives among adolescents;
• Assess the availability, acceptability, accessibility and affordability of reproductive health services to adolescents.
• Discuss any other issues around SRHR.

The program will also influence policymakers other relevant stakeholders to formulate policies that promote reproductive education in order to foster the utilisation of contraceptives by adolescent girls and women.