A study conducted in Kisumu, Siaya, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties to gather insights for designing a gender and youth-responsive Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) service delivery model aimed at enhancing access and utilization of services and bridging existing gaps.
Client/Partner: Consortium of partners related to the SHE SOARS project led by Care-Kenya
Project Goals & Objectives: To understand the existing health service delivery models, structures, guidelines, and policies impacting ASRH services, with a primary emphasis on meaningful youth involvement, and to elicit insights and recommendations from adolescents and healthcare providers.
Scope of Work:
- Utilized a mixed-method approach involving qualitative Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs).
- Engaged out-of-school adolescents, community opinion leaders, healthcare providers, and project staff.
- Employed a purposive sampling strategy to explore existing health service delivery models.
- Conducted quantitative analysis to reveal disparities in service utilization, knowledge, and perceptions among adolescents.
Implementation Approach:
- Emphasized meaningful youth involvement throughout the research process.
- Utilized a gender-sensitive approach to understand the different needs and experiences of adolescent girls and boys.
- Integrated qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the context.
Outcomes & Impact: The study’s findings revealed Disparities in ASRH service utilization, knowledge, and perceptions among adolescents in the target counties and Qualitative insights highlighted challenges such as stigma, limited access to youth-friendly services, and cultural norms affecting service utilization. The findings directly informed the design of a more gender and youth-responsive ASRH service delivery model, potentially within the existing Ministry of Health structures.
Challenges & Solutions: Challenges in engaging vulnerable adolescent populations or addressing sensitive cultural norms would be discussed, along with the strategies for ensuring ethical and effective data collection.Project Duration & Location: 2023, Kisumu, Siaya, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties, Kenya