Perspectives on socio-cultural context of adolescent reproductive health behaviour in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper utilizes data collected using structured questionnaire, focus group discussion, Rapid Participatory Assessment (RPA) and in-depth interview with stakeholders to obtain information from adolescents on the context of their behaviour at family level, work place, school, the society. The aim was to appraise the changes in the socio-cultural context of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The study which was carried out among 3,141 adolescents selected from the state capital, one medium-sized town and two villages in three Nigerian states indicates that: (i) premarital sexual behavior has become more common overtime, as Nigerian society has undergone marked social change (ii) most parents do not talk with their adolescent children about family life issues such as sex, pregnancy and contraception mainly because of cultural beliefs. Increasingly, religion and its insistence on chastity is now a dominant factor in adolescent sexual and reproductive health matters.