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Gender and Sexuality

Reproductive Health

Behavior Change Communication

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Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Demography, Population, and Ecology

Tracing Change In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Through Social Networks: An Intersectional Analysis Of The Influence Of Gender, Generation, Status, And Structural Inequality, Amadou Moreau, Bettina Shell-Duncan Feb 2020

Tracing Change In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Through Social Networks: An Intersectional Analysis Of The Influence Of Gender, Generation, Status, And Structural Inequality, Amadou Moreau, Bettina Shell-Duncan

Reproductive Health

Policies and programs designed to eliminate female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Senegal have been implemented over several decades, but the practice has been surprisingly tenacious. Strategies for accelerating abandonment have been informed by theories of change, and social norms theory, in particular, has become a prominent framework for understanding behavior change dynamics. FGM/C is held in place by interdependent normative expectations: what one family chooses to do is linked to expectations of others and reinforced through social sanctions. Hence, a key strategy for promoting behavior change rests on coordinating change in norms and behavior among people who interact with one …


Exploring The Nature And Extent Of Normative Change In Fgm/C In Somaliland, Richard A. Powell, Mohamed Yussuf, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Caroline W. Kabiru Feb 2020

Exploring The Nature And Extent Of Normative Change In Fgm/C In Somaliland, Richard A. Powell, Mohamed Yussuf, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Caroline W. Kabiru

Reproductive Health

More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM/C across 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. While most affected countries have adopted legal frameworks prohibiting FGM/C, these have been varyingly effective in preventing the practice or significantly accelerating its abandonment. The success of programmatic interventions to address FGM/C has also been variable. One possible reason for the limited success of these initiatives is the neglect of the collectively held social norms underpinning the practice’s continuation. This study, conducted in 30 villages in Somaliland, aimed to investigate: 1) if the norms associated with FGM/C are …


Insights Into Unmet Need In Ghana, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland Jan 2013

Insights Into Unmet Need In Ghana, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland

Reproductive Health

This study aims to establish the relative importance of lack of access and attitudinal resistance toward use of family planning for different population and geographical strata in Ghana. It is intended to inform policymakers on the priority that should be given to behavior change communication or improved access/information, and also helpful to interventions to reduce health concerns and fear of side effects, such as provision of broader method mix and better counseling. The most far reaching implication concerns the reproductive behavior of the best educated women and those living in the capital or surrounding areas. The results suggest an enduring …


Youth Behavioral Risks And Psychosocial Resources In Peru's Alternative-Development Zones, Federico R. Leon, Mary L. Claux Jan 2004

Youth Behavioral Risks And Psychosocial Resources In Peru's Alternative-Development Zones, Federico R. Leon, Mary L. Claux

Reproductive Health

Alternative-development programs are being offered to the population of seven regions of central-eastern Peru involved in coca cropping. The youth of these regions are above the national average in risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, use of alcohol and drugs, and violence against women. This study sought to identify and describe protective factors expected to function as counterforces to such risks; develop reliable indicators and provide a baseline concerning the risk behaviors and protective factors; compare youth by gender, developmental stage, urbanization, and geography to determine whether segmented interventions are required; and recommend specific intervention strategies. The results of …


Kenya: Community Sensitization Must Precede Alternative Coming-Of-Age Rite, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2002

Kenya: Community Sensitization Must Precede Alternative Coming-Of-Age Rite, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Female genital cutting (FGC) is practiced as a rite of passage in over half of Kenya’s districts. Kenyan nongovernmental agency Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYWO) has long conducted community sensitization focused on discouraging this practice. In 1996, MYWO began implementing the “alternative rite” (AR) intervention in sensitized communities. Girls participating in AR receive family life education in seclusion, followed by a public graduation ceremony recognizing them as adults. They are not cut as part of the ceremony. In 2000, the Population Council carried out an assessment of the AR program that sought to identify the impact of MYWO’s activities on knowledge …


Kenia: Sensibilizar A Comunidades Para Que Realicen Ritos Alternativos De Iniciación Con Las Niños, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2002

Kenia: Sensibilizar A Comunidades Para Que Realicen Ritos Alternativos De Iniciación Con Las Niños, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

La mutilación genital femenina (MGF) se practica como rito de transición en más de la mitad de los distritos de Kenia. Desde hace tiempo, la ONG Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYWO) ha sensibilizado a las comunidades de este país con el fin de promover el abandono de esta práctica. En 1996, la MYWO implementó una intervención para realizar un “Rito Alternativo” (RA) en las comunidades sensibilizadas. Las niñas que participan en estos RA reciben educación sobre la vida familiar durante un retiro y posteriormente participan en una ceremonia pública en la que se les reconoce como adultas. Lo más importante es …