Empowering adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV: A critical research gap
Document Type
Article (peer-reviewed)
Publication Date
2016
Abstract
The need to prevent early pregnancy and HIV among adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa has been recognized increasingly over recent years. Although extensive work has been done to determine appropriate interventions for girls in high-income countries, very little evidence is available to guide programmatic interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The available evidence has been equivocal regarding improved outcomes. While knowledge and self-reported behaviors frequently change with interventions, including those performed at the community level, educational programs, and direct contraceptive provision, downstream outcomes rarely reflect a significant effect of the interventions; however, provision of financial or other interventions to incentivize continued school enrollment are a promising development. We suggest directions for future research to fill this critical gap in the literature.
Recommended Citation
Phillips, Sharon J. and Michael Mbizvo. 2016. "Empowering adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV: A critical research gap," International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 132(1): 1–3.
DOI
10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.10.005
Language
English