Abortion legalization, teen sexual and reproductive health behaviors, and women's empowerment in South Africa.

IF 2.8 3区 医学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Getrude Njokwe, Yoko Kijima
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Restrictive abortion laws in many African nations are associated with risks such as unsafe procedures and teenage motherhood. This study examines how abortion legalization influences sexual and reproductive health and women's empowerment in South Africa, using a difference-in-differences design. Analyzing variations in birth cohorts and access to health care facilities with abortion services across provinces, the study finds no direct causal impact of the abortion policy on teenage motherhood, fertility rates, early sexual debut, high school completion, or college attendance, though negative associations with teenage motherhood and fertility rates and positive associations with early sexual debut, high school completion, and college attendance, were observed. The study suggests that limited access to health care facilities with abortion services and cultural taboos contribute to underreporting of behaviors. Given these findings, we recommend prioritizing access to contraception and creating supportive environments for adolescent girls living in vulnerable situations, including improved access to health care facilities that offer abortion services.

Abstract Image

Abstract Image

南非的堕胎合法化、青少年性健康和生殖健康行为以及妇女赋权。
许多非洲国家的限制性堕胎法与不安全的程序和少女母亲等风险有关。本研究考察了堕胎合法化如何影响南非的性健康和生殖健康以及妇女赋权,采用了差异中的差异设计。研究分析了各省的出生队列和获得堕胎服务的医疗机构的差异,发现堕胎政策对少女母亲、生育率、早期性行为、高中毕业率或大学出勤率没有直接的因果影响,尽管与少女母亲和生育率有负相关,与早期性行为、高中毕业率和大学出勤率有正相关。该研究表明,获得提供堕胎服务的医疗机构的机会有限以及文化禁忌是导致行为少报的原因。鉴于这些发现,我们建议优先考虑获得避孕措施,并为生活在弱势处境中的少女创造支持性环境,包括改善获得提供堕胎服务的保健设施的机会。
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来源期刊
Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition
Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生
CiteScore
2.20
自引率
0.00%
发文量
49
审稿时长
6 months
期刊介绍: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition brings together research on all aspects of issues related to population, nutrition and health. The journal publishes articles across a broad range of topics including global health, maternal and child health, nutrition, common illnesses and determinants of population health.
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