Presentation Information
[ctkh3Px5-06](Withdrawn) Navigating Silence and Barriers: Experience of Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Married Adolescent Girls Living in an Urban Informal Settlement in Dhaka, Bangladesh
*Farhana Islam1, Sk Shareyar2, Asaduzzaman Hridoy3, Md. Rabbi Tarikujjaman4, Nadira Islam Nitu 5, Dr. Md. Shahriar Mahbub6, Dr. Nasreen Nahar7 (1. Student, Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences(BUHS), 125/1, Darus Salam, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. (Bangladesh), 2. Student, Department of Public Health, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Plot 16, Block B, Aftabuddin Ahmed Road, Bashundhara Residential Area, Dhaka-1245, Bangladesh. (Bangladesh), 3. Student, Department of Anthropology, Comilla University; Road, Kotbari-3506, Cumilla, Bangladesh. (Bangladesh), 4. Student, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, 65, BRAC Tower, Floor 10-13, Bir Uttam AK Khandakar Rd, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh, (Bangladesh), 5. Student, Department of Public Health & Informatics, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. (Bangladesh), 6. Lecturer, Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences(BUHS), 125/1, Darus Salam, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh (Bangladesh), 7. Associate Professor & Head, Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences(BUHS), 125/1, Darus Salam, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. (Bangladesh))
Keywords:
Sexual and Reproductive Health,SRHR,Married Adolescent Girls,Stigma,Moral Justice,Urban Informal Settlements,Bangladesh
Purpose: In this study, we present findings from an interpretive phenomenological investigation that explores how married adolescent girls in a Dhaka urban informal settlement navigate silence, stigma, and barriers related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) matters.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed in this study to conduct 18 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and two focus group discussions with urban slum married adolescent girls in Dhaka aged between 15-19 years, selected through purposive sampling to capture diverse experiences. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. All interviews and FGDs were conducted face-to-face using a semi-structured interview guideline, digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Findings reveal that the married adolescent girls living in an urban informal settlement face profound challenges in accessing SRH information and services. Three central themes emerged concerning their lived experiences of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Knowledge of overall SRH was limited, with information often sought only after a health complication occurred. Formal healthcare facilities were largely avoided, as seeking hospital care for SRH concerns was widely perceived as unnecessary and shameful. Gender norms and patriarchal control strongly influenced decision-making, with most husbands refusing barrier methods of contraception and leaving girls solely responsible for contraception. Genital health problems and STI symptoms were commonly managed through local pharmacies or traditional healers. Despite spousal transmission, STI-related stigma predominantly targeted women. These findings highlighted how deeply rooted cultural and religious norms perpetuate misinformation and restrict young women’s SRHR, creating an intergenerational cycle of silence and control.
Conclusions: Addressing challenges among these married adolescent girls living in urban informal settlements requires community-level, rights-based interventions that engage families, community religious leaders, and health systems, which are essential to challenge harmful norms and improve equitable access to relevant SRH information services.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed in this study to conduct 18 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and two focus group discussions with urban slum married adolescent girls in Dhaka aged between 15-19 years, selected through purposive sampling to capture diverse experiences. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. All interviews and FGDs were conducted face-to-face using a semi-structured interview guideline, digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Findings reveal that the married adolescent girls living in an urban informal settlement face profound challenges in accessing SRH information and services. Three central themes emerged concerning their lived experiences of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Knowledge of overall SRH was limited, with information often sought only after a health complication occurred. Formal healthcare facilities were largely avoided, as seeking hospital care for SRH concerns was widely perceived as unnecessary and shameful. Gender norms and patriarchal control strongly influenced decision-making, with most husbands refusing barrier methods of contraception and leaving girls solely responsible for contraception. Genital health problems and STI symptoms were commonly managed through local pharmacies or traditional healers. Despite spousal transmission, STI-related stigma predominantly targeted women. These findings highlighted how deeply rooted cultural and religious norms perpetuate misinformation and restrict young women’s SRHR, creating an intergenerational cycle of silence and control.
Conclusions: Addressing challenges among these married adolescent girls living in urban informal settlements requires community-level, rights-based interventions that engage families, community religious leaders, and health systems, which are essential to challenge harmful norms and improve equitable access to relevant SRH information services.
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