OCE visualize equitable society where people are empowered and fully engaged to ending poverty
In Tanzania, Poor access to SRH has been associated with Adolescent Girls and Young Women’s vulnerability to sexual health risks, such as early pregnancies, menstrual health management, sexual violence, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Majority of the AGYW have first sexual intercourse before the age of 18. However, the use of methods to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies remain low because of inadequate and proper knowledge on SRH. Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey indicates that 27% of adolescent women age 15-19 are already mothers or are pregnant with their first child. Adolescent women with no education are five times more likely as those with secondary or higher education to have begun childbearing (52% versus 10%). Teenage childbearing also varies by economic status, ranging from 13% among adolescent women in the wealthiest households to 42% among those in the poorest households (TDHS-MIS, 2016).
Meanwhile, HIV-related deaths have fallen 35 percent since 2005, deaths among adolescents are on the rise (Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, 2015). To improve health outcomes for adolescents, the global health community must address SRH issues. Yet, adolescents around the world still face barriers to accessing SRH services and information. Restricted access to SRH services and information leaves adolescents at risk for un- planned pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Reducing the barriers faced by adolescents seeking SRH services and information requires taking a fresh look through a different lens: stigma and discrimination.
Stigma remains as a complex social process that often leads to social and economic exclusion of individuals and groups. Stigma often targets those who transgress or who are perceived to transgress social norms governing appropriate behaviour, the situation is twice complicated in rural- Tanzania where majority of people strongly uphold social norms. Stigmatized individuals and groups, in turn, may be subject to discrimination. Together, stigma and discrimination have been recognized as major barriers to accessing HIV prevention, care, and treatment services. Yet, relatively little attention has been given to the effects of stigma and discrimination on adolescents’ access to family planning and other SRH services.
Stigma and discrimination have multi-layered impacts. For example, embarrassment, shame, and fear of disclosure lead many young women to seek out unsafe abortions. Failing that, many adolescent girls who experience unplanned pregnancy may find fear of stigma preventing them from accessing timely antenatal care. As stigma is produced and experienced at different levels—from the individual to health facilities and beyond, efforts to address stigma and discrimination must be equally far-reaching. The Organization for Community Engagement (OCE) is addressing stigma and discrimination on adolescent SRH which has the potential to positively affect the lives of young people around the world, especially young women by providing youth-friendly services.
Please Help us to improve the Health and Wellbeing of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in rural-Tanzania