Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29370809›Full record

ArticleReproductive health2018

The no-go zone: a qualitative study of access to sexual and reproductive health services for sexual and gender minority adolescents in Southern Africa.

Alex Müller, Sarah Spencer, Talia Meer, Kristen Daskilewicz

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Global Legal Environment for LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Public Health.The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. History taking in gynecology revisited.Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis · 2022
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Alex MüllerGender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa. alex.muller@uct.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3254-7591
Sarah SpencerGender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
Talia MeerGender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kristen DaskilewiczGender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.

Funding

Ford Foundation 0155-0554
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdolescents have significant sexual and reproductive health needs. However, complex legal frameworks, and social attitudes about adolescent sexuality, including the values of healthcare providers, govern adolescent access to sexual and reproductive health services. These laws and social attitudes are often antipathetic to sexual and gender minorities. Existing literature assumes that adolescents identify as heterosexual, and exclusively engage in (heteronormative) sexual activity with partners of the opposite sex/gender, so little is known about if and how the needs of sexual and gender minority adolescents are met.

methodsIn this article, we have analysed data from fifty in-depth qualitative interviews with representatives of organisations working with adolescents, sexual and gender minorities, and/or sexual and reproductive health and rights in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

resultsSexual and gender minority adolescents in these countries experience double-marginalisation in pursuit of sexual and reproductive health services: as adolescents, they experience barriers to accessing LGBT organisations, who fear being painted as "homosexuality recruiters," whilst they are simultaneously excluded from heteronormative adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. Such barriers to services are equally attributable to the real and perceived criminalisation of consensual sexual behaviours between partners of the same sex/gender, regardless of their age. DISCUSSION/

conclusionThe combination of laws which criminalise consensual same sex/gender activity and the social stigma towards sexual and gender minorities work to negate legal sexual and reproductive health services that may be provided. This is further compounded by age-related stigma regarding sexual activity amongst adolescents, effectively leaving sexual and gender minority adolescents without access to necessary information about their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, and sexual and reproductive health services.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilitySex EducationSexual and Gender MinoritiesAdolescentAdolescent BehaviorAdolescent Health ServicesAfrica, SouthernAttitude to HealthFemaleHomosexualityHumansMalawiMaleMozambiqueNamibiaReproductive Health ServicesAdolescentsCriminalisationHeteronormativityHIVLGBTService provisionSexual and gender minoritiesSexual and reproductive health and rightsSouthern AfricaStigma

Identifiers

PMID29370809
PMCPMC5784505

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.