Frontiers in reproductive health最新文献

{"title":"Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women on anti-retroviral therapy in East Wollega public health facilities, west Ethiopia: facility based cross-sectional study.","authors":"Worku Fikadu","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1449392","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1449392","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fertility desire in people living with HIV is the desire of people to have children in the future despite a diagnosis of HIV. The desire to have children among reproductive-age women living with HIV has significant implications for the transmission of HIV to sexual partners and newborns in the future. There is no study conducted to determine the magnitude of the fertility desire among women of reproductive age living with HIV in East Wollega western Ethiopia. Therefore this study aimed to determine fertility desire and associated factors among women of reproductive age living with HIV receiving ART.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To assess fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive-aged women on antiretroviral treatment in East Wollega, West Ethiopia, 2023.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in East Wollega from January 01/2023 to 30/2023. Data was collected from 419 study participants using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires by employing systematic random sampling techniques. Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi Data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23, respectively. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using binary logistic regression. Statistical significance was established for variables with <i>P</i> < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 419 respondents, 166 (39.62%) reported that they desired to have children in the future. Age between 18 and 24 years (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI; 1.16, 5.35), having partner Living with HIV: (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI; 0.25, 0.9), and being married (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI; 1.65, 4.39) were significantly associated with fertility desire.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The proportion of women of reproductive age living with HIV who desired children was high in this cohort. Understanding the fertility desire among women living with HIV/AIDS has a significant role in reducing perinatal transmission of HIV. Hence, Health care workers should provide intensive counselling regarding the possibility of the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1449392"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12198199/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144509803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consistency in self-reported age at first sex and marriage among adolescents and young adults in Northwestern Tanzania: insights from repeated responses.","authors":"Jacqueline Materu, Jim Todd, Emma Slaymaker, Mark Urassa, Milly Marston, Ties Boerma, Eveline T Konje","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1488604","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1488604","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Adolescents and young adults face unique sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges, with early sex and marriage linked to negative outcomes. Reported ages at first sex (AFS) and first marriage (AFM) are crucial indicators for SRH and HIV intervention programs. This study aimed to assess the consistency of AFS and AFM reports among adolescents and young adults with repeated responses across eight survey rounds (1994-2016) from the Magu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Magu HDSS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A serial cross-sectional survey comprising 58,654 observations from 33,177 individuals in the Magu HDSS, conducted between 1994 and 2016, was analysed. Structured face-to-face interviews were used for data collection. A fixed-effects panel regression model was applied to assess within- and between-individual variability. Reported AFS and AFM were categorized as consistent or inconsistent across survey rounds. Variability and consistency were further analysed across different age groups, sexes, residence area, education, pregnancy and HIV status.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study revealed significant within-individual variability, with nearly half of the variation due to individual-specific reporting changes over time. Among 2,637 individuals aged 15-24 who reported AFS more than once, 1,312 (49.8%) provided consistent values. For AFM, 621 out of 920 individuals (67.5%) reported same age values across multiple surveys. In other words, 49.8% of individuals provided the same AFS values each time, while 67.5% reported the same AFM values; the rest reported different values. Sub-analysis showed that age, sex, residence, HIV status, pregnancy, and education influenced variability and consistency. Females exhibited higher consistency in AFS (56.7%) and AFM (61.0%) compared to males (43.5% and 44.9%, respectively). Adolescents (15-19 years) reported more consistently with lower variability than young adults (20-24 years) and adults (25-49 years).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study assesses the extent of consistency in reported ages among young individuals and identifies the challenge of self-reported AFS and AFM data due to inherent variability and inconsistency. It highlights the need to scrutinize the consistency of these reported events each time these indicators are used to evaluate trends and progress in SRH and HIV programs. A systematic analytical approach is essential for improving data quality and obtaining accurate estimates.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1488604"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12198193/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144509802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pregnancy and contraceptive use among participants of childbearing potential in the HVTN 705 HIV vaccine trial in Southern Africa.","authors":"Pamela Mda, Kathryn Mngadi, Bo Zhang, Randy Burnham, Michal Juraska, Ollivier Hyrien, Nigel Garrett, Thozama Dubula, Sinalo Toni, Sibi Joseph, Phillip Kotze, Susan Buchbinder, Azwidihwi Takalani, Frank Tomaka, Alexander Luedtke, Wouter Willems, Edith Swann, Julia Hutter, Huub Gelderblom, M Juliana McElrath, Ludo Lavreys, Lynda Stranix-Chibanda, Alison C Roxby, Linda-Gail Bekker, Glenda E Gray","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1565933","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1565933","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>HIV vaccine trial participants include sexually active cisgender females who agree to avoid pregnancy during the active vaccination period. Nevertheless, some pregnancies occur in almost all studies. We examined contraceptive use, pregnancy incidence, and the relationship between pregnancy and HIV seroconversion in one HIV vaccine trial.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed an exploratory analysis of data collected for HVTN 705/HPX2008, a phase IIb HIV vaccine trial enrolling cisgender women across 23 sites in five southern African countries. Baseline characteristics and contraceptive use were assessed among participants who became pregnant and those who did not during the active vaccination phase (months 0-15). Pregnancy incidence rates were calculated for this phase and the duration of follow up (36 months). Cox regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with incident pregnancy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 2,636 participants who received at least one vaccine or placebo dose (mean age: 23 years, standard deviation: 3 years). At enrolment, when contraception was required, 62.9% reported using injectable contraceptives. Overall pregnancy rate was 2.95 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 2.40, 3.58), with 101 pregnancies reported by month 15. Cumulative incidence of pregnancy at month 15 was similar between trial arms (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.688). Each additional year of age was associated with an 8% decrease in pregnancy incidence (<i>p</i> = 0.014). Women aged 31-35 years had the lowest pregnancy incidence [1.75 (0.48, 4.48) per 100 person-years]. In a Cox regression analysis covering months 0-15, all contraceptive methods significantly reduced the incidence of pregnancy compared to no contraceptive use. Oral contraception was associated with the least reduction in pregnancy risk; implants were associated with the most reduction in pregnancy risk (<i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In HVTN 705/HPX2008, higher incidence of pregnancy was associated with younger age and oral contraception (compared to other methods). These data may inform future designs of HIV prevention or vaccine trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1565933"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12185537/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144487373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and genetic etiology of poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in Mauritania.","authors":"Marieme Elwafi, Abdi Ahmed, Omar Akhouayri, Ahmed Zein, Hamma Abdelkader, Roughaya Selman, Ahmed Houmeida","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1461405","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1461405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder characterized by polycystic ovaries, oligoanovulation, hyperandrogenism and infertility. The exact specific causes of this disease have not yet been identified, but there is evidence of significant genetic involvement.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PCOS and explore its gene polymorphisms in the Mauritanian population.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Files of 2,100 women patients attending two gynaecologic clinics of Nouakchott were retrospectively analysed to identify PCOS patients based on the 2003 Rotterdam Criterion. A genetic study used Sanger sequencing to search for six known SNPs in LHCGR (rs2293275), FSHR (rs6166), ESR1 (rs2234693), GnRHR (rs104893836), miR-126 (rs4636297), and miR-499 (rs3746444) among 8 familial PCOS cases and 3 sporadic patients. A more extended search was then carried out exclusively for LHCGR rs2293275 on 56 PCOS patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of PCOS was 7.8% in this cohort. The occurrence of LHCGR rs2293275 (T>C, G; p. Asn 312 Ser) and ESR1 rs2234693 (T>C, G) polymorphisms in the PCOS screened patients suggests a likely association of these variants with the disease. However, rs104893836 polymorphism was not found in any of the tested PCOS cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although yet to be confirmed in larger size cohort, these data could contribute to improving the exploration, referral, and treatment of PCOS in Mauritania.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1461405"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183262/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144478126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"State-of-the-art approaches in the investigation of human seminal bacteriome using metagenomic methods.","authors":"Jan Hofman, Petra Brenerova, Petra Borilova Linhartova","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1557912","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1557912","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although the understanding of the causes of infertility is the key to its successful treatment, recent studies have shown that as many as 50% of male-caused infertility cases are considered idiopathic. The microbial colonization of the male reproductive system was shown to be associated with reduced male reproductive fitness. Investigation of the seminal microbiome, however, remains challenging. This article aimed to improve this situation by creating the first comprehensive review of literature on the metagenomic methods (including the pre-analytical and analytical approaches) used in the research on human seminal bacteriome (total bacterial DNA in the matrix), published in 2018-2024. A total of 29 studies addressing the analysis of the human seminal bacteriome were identified. The analysis typically involved DNA extraction from the supernatant using commercial kits, amplification of the gene for 16S rRNA, and sequencing of amplicons. Where the separation of seminal plasma was performed, centrifugation was the dominant method used for this purpose. The significant heterogeneity in individual steps of methodological approaches in the analysis of the human seminal bacteriome complicates the comparison of results among studies and the establishment of standard procedures, hindering clinical advancements. For this reason, a protocol for the analysis of the human seminal plasma bacteriome is proposed here, which could lead to improved comparability of results among studies and make future research more efficient. This protocol is founded on rigorous quality control measures, compliance with the WHO laboratory manual for sample collection, extensive pretreatment involving mechanical and enzymatic lysis, DNA extraction using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen), and short-read sequencing conducted on the MiSeq platform (Illumina).</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1557912"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176750/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144334578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Intersection of adolescent sexual, reproductive, and mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa.","authors":"Negussie Boti Sidamo, Sultan Hussen Hebo, Stephen O Chukwudeh, Zacharie Tsala Dimbuene","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1614317","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1614317","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1614317"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12159061/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144287369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HIV disclosure in the social networks of adolescents with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa.","authors":"Marta I Mulawa, Frances Hung, Nicole J Phillips, Mark F Austin, Richard Barfield, Hui-Jie Lee, Heather J Zar, Dan J Stein, Jacqueline Hoare","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1545039","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1545039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Little is known about HIV status disclosure within the social networks of adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV (APHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV prevalence is high and stigma surrounding HIV is pervasive. This study employed egocentric network analysis to characterize HIV disclosure in the social networks of APHIV in Cape Town South Africa. Associations between HIV disclosure and characteristics of APHIV (egos), their relationship to network members (alters), and features of the social network, including ego's network size and alter's centrality within the network, were also examined.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Network data were collected from 58 APHIV (mean age 14.3 years; 52% female) using a customized touchscreen-based assessment, providing data on 349 ego-alter relationships. Associations with HIV disclosure within the ego-alter pairs were evaluated by adjusted odds ratios (AOR) from multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, clustering by ego.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among all ego-alter pairs identified, 36.4% (127/349) were disclosed to by egos. Odds of disclosure did not differ based on the ego's gender or viral suppression. Odds of disclosure were significantly higher when alters were presumed by the ego to have HIV [AOR 6.26; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.36-16.58, <i>p</i> < 0.001], were more trusted by the ego (AOR 2.84; 95% CI: 1.14-7.06, <i>p</i> = 0.03), or were older than the ego (1-year difference AOR 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Increasing alter's centrality by 0.01 was associated with an increased odds of disclosure (AOR 1.02; 95% CI: 1.002-1.03, <i>p</i> = 0.03), though overall network size was not associated with increased odds of disclosure. The effect of the ego's emotional support network size on disclosure, however, depended on the type of ego-alter relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>HIV status disclosure was low in the social networks of APHIV. Our study found that disclosure was not influenced by network size, gender, or viral suppression but rather by factors related to interpersonal trust and shared experience, such as perceived HIV status of alters, network-level centrality and emotional support network size. The study further highlights the benefits and future potential of using social network data collection and analysis methods to better understand HIV disclosure among adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1545039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12133812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of a 12-week obesity intervention on menopausal symptoms and psychological well-being across menopause stages: a cross-sectional analysis.","authors":"Rupal Kumar, Moattar Raza Rizvi, Waqas Sami","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1524790","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1524790","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Menopause poses unique physical and psychological challenges, especially for obese women, impacting quality of life across menopausal stages. This study evaluates a 12-week obesity educator program on body composition, menopausal symptoms, and psychological well-being among pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal obese women in Delhi NCR, India.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 291 obese women (97 per menopausal stage) assessing anthropometric measures, menopausal symptoms via the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), and psychological well-being using the Well-being Questionnaire (W-BQ12). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, ANCOVA, Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The intervention led to significant weight reduction across all groups (3.8-4.5 kg, <i>p</i> < 0.001), waist circumference decreases (5.7-6.5 cm, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and HbA1c reductions by 0.4% (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Regression analysis identified waist-to-hip ratio and hemoglobin as predictors of somato-vegetative and psychological symptoms (<i>R</i> ² = 0.15, <i>p</i> < 0.05). MRS scores showed the most improvement in perimenopausal women.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The obesity educator program effectively improved body composition, glycemic control, and well-being across menopausal stages, highlighting the value of personalized interventions for menopausal health management.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1524790"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12133954/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital tracking of girls exposed to community led alternative rites of passage to prevent female genital mutilation/cutting, and child, early and forced marriages in Kenya: a longitudinal study.","authors":"David Kawai, Bernard Mbogo, Yvonne Opanga, Samuel Muhula, Tammary C Esho, Hilke Conradi, Viola J Rutto, Denge Lugayo, Dennis J Matanda","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1445504","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1445504","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage (CEFM) are harmful practices that are a human rights violation. For decades, many interventions have been implemented to end these practices. One such intervention is the Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP), which allows girls to go through a meaningful rite of passage without the cut. The ARPs have come under scrutiny due to a lack of data to show how effective ARPs have been. This study aimed to establish the effect of the Community-Led Alternative Rite of Passage (CL-ARP) model on incidences of FGM/C, CEFM and keeping girls and young women in school.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study adopted a longitudinal design where girls and young women were enrolled into the CL-ARP programme and later followed up for over three years to assess the effectiveness of the CL-ARP model in preventing incidences of FGM/C, CEFM and keeping girls in school. A total of 2,647 girls aged 10-23 years who resided in Kajiado County were recruited and followed up post-exposure to CL-ARP. Data analysis involved conducting descriptive and logistic regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The CL-ARP programme kept 98% of girls free of FGM/C, 99% free of CEFM and 98% kept in school. 41 cases of FGM/C, 12 cases of CEFM and 48 cases of school dropouts were reported three years post-exposure. Girls who underwent FGM/C had been kept free of FGM/C for an average of 39.5 months, those who experienced CEFM had been kept free of CEFM for an average of 40.2 months, and those who dropped out of school had been kept in school for an average of 38.5 months. Girls and young women who experienced instances of threats/violence were more likely to experience FGM/C, CEFM and drop out of school than those who had not.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The CL-ARP programme was successful in keeping the majority of girls and young women free of FGM/C and CEFM, and retained in school post-enrollment. Reported cases of FGM/C, CEFM and school dropouts underline the importance of considering other contextual factors such as gender-based violence that may continue to put girls and young women at risk despite embracing CL-ARP.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1445504"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12152601/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144276926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scoping review of social norms interventions to reduce violence and improve SRHR outcomes among adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa.","authors":"Luciana Leite, Rachel Yates, Gaia Chiti Strigelli, Jenny Yi-Chen Han, Jenny Chen-Charles, Maria Rotaru, Elona Toska","doi":"10.3389/frph.2025.1592696","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frph.2025.1592696","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Despite growing interest, guidance to inform effective social norms interventions that improve adolescents and young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is needed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a scoping review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies of social norms interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Single and multi-component interventions that included a social norms component and assessed impacts on SRHR outcomes among 10- to 24-year-old adolescents and young people were included. We mapped interventions across eight programmatic strategies and six SRHR outcomes, drawing programmatic insights.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong><i>N</i> = 40 interventions from 12 countries reported effectiveness on intimate partner and non-partner sexual, physical and emotional violence (<i>N</i> = 14), child marriage (<i>N</i> = 6), sexual risk behaviours (<i>N</i> = 20), contraception and family planning (<i>N</i> = 23), prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (<i>N</i> = 17), and early pregnancy (<i>N</i> = 10). Intervention strategies included life skills approaches (<i>N</i> = 23), community dialogues (<i>N</i> = 14), school-based SRHR programming (<i>N</i> = 10), parenting programmes (<i>N</i> = 8), training of healthcare professionals on youth-friendly services (<i>N</i> = 7), media or digital-based approaches (<i>N</i> = 7), interventions with community leaders (<i>N</i> = 5), and rights-based advocacy (<i>N</i> = 2). Norms interventions can improve multiple SRHR outcomes, including reducing gender-based and intimate partner violence and child marriage, increasing HIV testing, and contraceptive use. Effective programmes were often implemented in combined interventions, and included life skills, community conversations, mass media and digital programmes with norms components.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Integrating gender-transformative approaches such as reflections on gender roles and inequalities, youth sexuality, and gendered power relations, and engaging with reference groups were key to the success of programmes. Effective approaches delivered SRHR information alongside reflections on social norms, and combined participatory methods with a structured curriculum guiding activities led by trained facilitators. Most interventions focused on changing social expectations and awareness, but few reported clear diffusion strategies to ensure the spread of the new norms and behaviours for the expected change. Key evidence gaps identified include integrating implementation research to inform the scale-up and sustainability of effective social norms interventions. Social norms interventions that effectively address the needs of high-risk adolescents and young people are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":73103,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in reproductive health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1592696"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12119623/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144182497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}