The study is premised on the hypothesis that a young woman's exposure to the media increases her knowledge about sexual and reproductive health risks, which in turn, influences her to adopt positive sexual and reproductive behaviour. Using the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey dataset on women 15-24 years, the study finds that although a young woman's exposure to the newspapers positively affects her sexual and reproductive behaviour, overall no consistent and statistically significant results were produced particularly with reference to the electronic media (radio and television). The conclusion is that mere exposure to the media may not be enough to change one's sexual and reproductive behaviour if the contents of the particular media source do not positively address sexual and reproductive health issues, a subject which the study calls for further research.
North-south independent child migration flows in Ghana have gained increasing political and research interest. Parents and adult relations actively participate in the decision of their children to migrate. In view of this, this study uses a 2005 survey of 451 independent child migrants in Accra and Kumasi to assess the extent to which this relatively new wave of migration constitutes some kind of an economic investment by parents against poverty. A major finding of the study is that although parents, through remittances by their children, may meet their objective of sending their children as migrants to southern communities, in the long run, these gains may be eroded because of diverse social, economic, and reproductive health risks the children may be exposed to.
Adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are struggling with accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and COVID-19 has escalated the problem. The purpose of this review was to identify and assess the existing literature on the impact of the pandemic on SRH needs and access to services by adolescents in LMICs. A scoping review was conducted to collate findings on the topic. Searches were performed on eight databases. Data were extracted and categorized into various themes. After removing duplicates and performing a full-text reading of all articles, nine articles were included in our review. Our findings generated several themes related to adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include (1) limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, (2) school closure and increased rate of early marriages, (3) sexual or intimate partner violence during COVID-19, (4) disruption in maternity care, (5) adolescents’ involvement in risky or exploitative work, (6) intervention to improve sexual and reproductive health services during COVID-19, and (7) policy development related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Several recommendations were made on policies—for instance, the use of telemedicine and community-based programs as a way to deliver SRH services to adolescents during and after a pandemic.
Background Migration and involuntary displacement of children and young people have recently become common features of many African countries due to widespread poverty, rapid urbanization, joblessness, and instability that motivate them to seek livelihoods away from their places of origin. With limited education and skills, children become vulnerable socioeconomically, thereby exposing themselves to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks. Methods Against this background, the authors undertook a scoping review of the existing literature between January and June 2019 to highlight current knowledge on SRH of African migrant and refugee children. Twenty-two studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Results The results identified overcrowding and sexual exploitation of children within refugee camps where reproductive health services are often limited and underutilized. They also reveal language barriers as key obstacles towards young migrants’ access to SRH information and services because local languages used to deliver these services are alien to the migrants. Further, cultural practices like genital cutting, which survived migration could have serious reproductive health implications for young migrants. A major gap identified is about SRH risk factors of unaccompanied migrant minors, which have received limited study, and calls for more quantitative and qualitative SRH studies on unaccompanied child migrants. Studies should also focus on the different dimensions of SRH challenges among child migrants differentiated by gender, documented or undocumented, within or across national borders, and within or outside refugee camps to properly inform and situate policies, keeping in mind the economic motive and spatial displacement of children as major considerations. Conclusion The conditions that necessitate economic-driven migration of children will continue to exist in sub-Saharan Africa. This will provide fertile grounds for child migration to continue to thrive, with diverse sexual and reproductive health risks among the child migrants. There is need for further quantitative and qualitative research on child migrants’ sexual and reproductive health experiences paying special attention to their differentiation by gender, documented or undocumented, within or across national borders and within or outside refugee camps.
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