- Beliefs that females should remain virgins until they are married but that males should experiment and "test" their virility and should have multiple partners.
- Traditions in which married women have children before they use contraception in order to prove their fertility.
- Beliefs that females, especially young girls, should know nothing about contraception.
- Beliefs that the use of contraception or provision of sexuality education will promote promiscuity.
- Acceptance of gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices (such as female genital cutting).
- Involvement of family members (e.g., in-laws) in contraceptive decision-making that limits or restricts young womens ability to make autonomous decisions.
- Lack of family planning and reproductive health services that address the needs of young men.
- Young girls fear of pelvic exams and side effects of contraceptive.
- Provider biases and power imbalances between adolescent clients and their providers (e.g., a male service provider and female client).
- Health clinics that are not inviting to young people (e.g., location, hours, cost), especially when given adolescents limited access to money and transportation.
- Laws and policies that prohibit provision of family planning and reproductive health services to young people.
- Empowerment of women in contraceptive decision-making.
- Information provided to men about condom use and prevention of STIs.
- A belief that practicing family planning and having smaller families can provide economic and health benefits.
- Pregnancies that are wanted.
- Cultural and societal support for and promotion of education to limit unwanted or mistimed pregnancies.
- Advanced social and economic development.
- Availability of resources to promote services.
- Prevalence of and support for youth development programs (including family life education in the schools and life-skills training).
- Supportive and communicative parents and other family members.
- Mass media outreach (e.g., through radio and television) for behavior change.
Adapted with permission from the Focus on Young Adults Project, Pathfinder International, 2002.
