Adolescents’ access to emergency contraception in Africa : an empty promise?

dc.contributor.authorSavage-Oyekunle, Oluremi A.
dc.contributor.authorNienaber, A.G. (Annelize Gertruida)
dc.contributor.emailannelize.nienaber@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-05T13:05:48Z
dc.date.available2018-03-05T13:05:48Z
dc.date.issued2017-12
dc.description.abstractGovernments have committed themselves at international human rights fora to prioritising programmes aimed at adolescents’ development and wellbeing, particularly their educational and health needs. Such programmes include those focused on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, and are aimed at enabling adolescents to manage in a positive manner their awakening sexuality. African countries, too, have focused their efforts on adolescents. Despite commitment by governments, an alarmingly high rate of unintended pregnancies among Africa’s adolescents persists. These unintended pregnancies are associated with a low level of contraceptive use, especially among adolescent girls who face significant discrimination and inequality when accessing contraceptive information and services, including specific information on where and how to access emergency contraceptives. This situation flies in the face of the realisation that unconditional and unhindered access to emergency contraceptives is an important tool to protect adolescent girls from sexual ill-health and maternal mortality and morbidity. In light of obstacles in the way of adolescent girls’ access to emergency contraception in the African region, the comments of the various treaty-monitoring bodies are highlighted in the article in order to strengthen arguments in support of African adolescents’ access to emergency contraception. Additionally, mechanisms which may be adopted to overcome obstacles that hinder adolescents’ access and use of emergency contraceptives are examined in order to determine whether they may be beneficial in ensuring African adolescents’ access to emergency contraception. Although the study is comparative in nature, specific attention is paid to Nigerian adolescents’ access to emergency contraception.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentPublic Lawen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2018en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.ahrlj.up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationOA Savage-Oyekunle & A Nienaber ‘Adolescents’ access to emergency contraception in Africa: An empty promise?’ (2017) 17 African Human Rights Law Journal 475-526 http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.17159/1996-2096/2017/v17n2a7.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1609-073X (print)
dc.identifier.issn1996-2096 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.17159/1996-2096/2017/v17n2a7
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/64158
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherPretoria University Law Pressen_ZA
dc.rightsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licenseen_ZA
dc.subjectSexual and reproductive health (SRH)en_ZA
dc.subjectAdolescentsen_ZA
dc.subjectAccess to emergency contraceptionen_ZA
dc.subjectMaternal mortalityen_ZA
dc.titleAdolescents’ access to emergency contraception in Africa : an empty promise?en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
SavageOyekunle_Adolescents_2017.pdf
Size:
313.86 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: