I feel that things are out of my hands: how COVID-19 prevention measures have affected young people’s sexual and reproductive health in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda and Zimbabwe

Case Studies & Research
Utrecht
Rutgers
2021
179 p.
Organizations

The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of young people’s lives, including their schooling, livelihoods and gender relations, as well as their access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. COVID-19 infection prevention and management measures (including, for example, lockdowns, self-isolation, restrictions on movement) appear, in many settings, to have had a significant impact on young people’s access to SRHR information and services. The study presented here was carried out by Rutgers in collaboration with its partners in two global initiatives: Right Here, Right Now (RHRN), and Get Up, Speak Out for Youth Rights! (GUSO). The mixed methods participatory research took place with young people in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda and Zimbabwe. It sought to understand the logistical, cultural and psycho-social barriers to young people’s SRHR during the pandemic. Recommendations, largely formulated by the young people themselves, suggest how these can be addressed, including among vulnerable groups such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer (LGBTQ) youth and young people living with disabilities.

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