TY - JOUR
T1 - Capitalising on aspirations of adolescent girls and young women to reduce their sexual health risks
T2 - Implications for HIV prevention
AU - Wamoyi, Joyce
AU - Gafos, Mitzy
AU - Howard-Merrill, Lottie
AU - Seeley, Janet
AU - Meiksin, Rebecca
AU - Kygombe, Nambusi
AU - Heise, Lori
AU - Buller, Ana Maria
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to all the young people and adults who participated in this study. We benefited enormously from the work of four research assistants and acknowledge their contribution. This work was part of the LINEA initiative and the STRIVE Research Programme Consortium working group on transactional sex. The study was funded by OAK Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This paper explores adolescent girls’ and young women’s (AGYW) aspirations, factors that influence aspirations, and how their aspirations inform their sexual decision-making and behaviour. This study employed a qualitative design involving six participatory focus group discussions and 17 in-depth interviews with AGYW in–and out-of-school. Fieldwork was undertaken in rural and urban Tanzania. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVIVO software. Aspirations of AGYW’s were categorised as short and long-term. Short-term aspirations were associated with the social status derived from obtaining trendy items such as nice clothing, or smart phones. Long-term aspirations included completing secondary education, having a professional job, being respected, getting married and having children. Aspirations were influenced by aspects of the social context, such as peers and structural factors that dictated what was acceptable for respectable AGYW. AGYW lacked the independent capabilities to meet long-term aspirations such as completing education. In pursuit of their short–and long-term aspirations, AGYW engaged in higher risk sexual behaviours such as transactional sex, age-disparate sex and condomless sex. AGYW’s aspirations were important in determining their sexual decision making. Interventions should capitalise on AGYW’s aspirations when addressing their SRH risks by finding innovative ways of engaging them based on their circumstances and aspirations.
AB - This paper explores adolescent girls’ and young women’s (AGYW) aspirations, factors that influence aspirations, and how their aspirations inform their sexual decision-making and behaviour. This study employed a qualitative design involving six participatory focus group discussions and 17 in-depth interviews with AGYW in–and out-of-school. Fieldwork was undertaken in rural and urban Tanzania. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVIVO software. Aspirations of AGYW’s were categorised as short and long-term. Short-term aspirations were associated with the social status derived from obtaining trendy items such as nice clothing, or smart phones. Long-term aspirations included completing secondary education, having a professional job, being respected, getting married and having children. Aspirations were influenced by aspects of the social context, such as peers and structural factors that dictated what was acceptable for respectable AGYW. AGYW lacked the independent capabilities to meet long-term aspirations such as completing education. In pursuit of their short–and long-term aspirations, AGYW engaged in higher risk sexual behaviours such as transactional sex, age-disparate sex and condomless sex. AGYW’s aspirations were important in determining their sexual decision making. Interventions should capitalise on AGYW’s aspirations when addressing their SRH risks by finding innovative ways of engaging them based on their circumstances and aspirations.
KW - Aspirations
KW - adolescent girls
KW - sexual and reproductive health
KW - transactional sex
KW - young women
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U2 - 10.1080/17441692.2021.1929386
DO - 10.1080/17441692.2021.1929386
M3 - Article
C2 - 34016027
AN - SCOPUS:85106217681
SN - 1744-1692
VL - 17
SP - 1665
EP - 1674
JO - Global public health
JF - Global public health
IS - 8
ER -