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THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
ISSN: 0331-4111  e-ISSN: 2736-075X
Volume 18, No. 2, November 2020
Pages 116-133

DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/0202/81(0270)

Sociocultural Context of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) of Adolescents in Northern Nigeria

1 Musa Abubakar and 2 Aminu Mohammed Dukku

1,2 Department of Sociology, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Contemporary discourse on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is characterised by its robustness in proffering solutions for healthy adolescents capable of competing physically, economically and socially, globally. However, despite its promising nature, policies and programs pertaining to youth and adolescents’ health needs to be designed in accordance with the cultural practices that prevail in various social contexts. This paper examines the various SRH policies and programs with a view to identifying culturally acceptable means of formulating and delivering SRH services in Northern Nigeria. The SRH health policies and programs and their implementation for adolescents run riot with some cultural practices particularly of the northern part of the country. Issues patterning to non-acceptance of the culture of delayed marriage as a way of attaining good and healthy living make people in the North get married earlier than their counterparts in other parts of the country. The northern culture views the teaching of unmarried adolescents about sex, contraception and abortion as uncalled for because it may be, in a way, an encouragement and motivation for the youth and adolescents alike to be introduced to the sexuality. These and other challenges call for culturally robust strategy(s) for implementing SRH policies and programs for solutions to cultural disparities and divergences that stand in the way to realising enhanced SRH needs of adolescents.

KeywordsGlobalization, sexual and reproductive health, policies, programs, Northern Nigeria

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