ArticlePloS one2015
A 'mystery client' evaluation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in health facilities from two regions in Tanzania.
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Are facility service delivery models meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa? A qualitative evidence synthesis.BMC health services research · 2025Pooled it
- Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators.BMC public health · 2021Pooled it
- Assessing youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2018Pooled it
- A systematic review of the use of adolescent mystery clients in assessing the adolescent friendliness of health services in high, middle, and low-income countries.Global health action · 2018Pooled it
- Trial
- Sex-specific presentation, epidemiology, and control of schistosomiasis in women and adolescent girls.The Lancet. Global health · 2026Review
- Adolescent-Parent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues in Nyarugenge and Kamonyi Districts, Rwanda: A Qualitative Exploration of Adolescent Insights.Rwanda journal of medicine and health sciences · 2025Article
- Characterizing models of adolescent and youth-friendly health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.International journal of adolescent medicine and health · 2024Article
- Impact of sexual and reproductive health interventions among young people in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Article
- Through the looking glass: empowering youth community advisory boards in Tanzania as a sustainable youth engagement model to inform policy and practice.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Leadership Commitment and the Quality of Adolescent-Friendly Sexual Reproductive Health Services in Public Health Facilities Among Pastoral Districts of Guji Zone, Ethiopia.Journal of healthcare leadership · 2024Article
- Trends and determinants of unmet need for modern contraception among adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania, 2004-2016.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Assessment of the availability, accessibility, and quality of sexual and reproductive health services for young people in conflict affected zones of Cameroon: a mixed method study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Sexual and reproductive health among adolescents in vulnerable contexts in Mexico: Needs, knowledge, and rights.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Validation of the Adolescent Health Quality of Care (AHQOC) index for mystery client studies.PloS one · 2023Article
- Quality of sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and young people in public health facilities in Southwest Nigeria: a mystery client study.Global health action · 2022Article
- Key informants' perspectives on policy- and service-level challenges and opportunities for delivering adolescent and youth-friendly health services in public health facilities in a Nigerian setting.BMC health services research · 2022Article
- Perceptions of Sexual Healthcare Provision in Tanzania: a Key Informant Qualitative Study.Sexuality research & social policy : journal of NSRC : SR & SP · 2022Article
- Preventing, but Not Caring for, Adolescent Pregnancies? Disparities in the Quality of Reproductive Health Care in Sub-Saharan Africa.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2022Article
- Healthcare workers' perspectives on access to sexual and reproductive health services in the public, private and private not-for-profit sectors: insights from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.BMC health services research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Unwelcoming behaviours and judgemental attitudes have long been recognised as a barrier to young people's access to reproductive health services. Over the last decade youth friendly reproductive health services have been promoted and implemented world-wide. However, long term evidence of the impact of these programmes is lacking. We report the results of a large mystery client evaluation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Tanzania, a country that has had a long established youth friendly policy. Forty-eight visits made to thirty-three health facilities were conducted by twelve young people (six in each region) trained to perform three different scripted scenarios (i.e., condom request, information on sexually transmitted infections and family planning). The study revealed barriers in relation to poor signage and reception for services. In addition health workers demonstrated paternalistic attitudes as well as lack of knowledge about adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. In some cases, health workers discouraged young people from using services such as condoms and family planning methods. Lack of confidentiality and privacy were also noted to be common challenges for the young people involved. Intervention strategies that focus on changing health workers' mind-set in relation to adolescent sexual and reproductive health are crucial for ensuring quality provision of sexual and reproductive health services to young people. The study identified the importance of reception or signs at the health units, as this can facilitate young people's efforts in seeking sexual and reproductive health services. Likewise, improvement of health workers knowledge of existing policy and practice on sexual and reproductive health services and youth friendly services is much needed.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.