Beyond Behaviour: Gender-Inequitable Attitudes and Sexual and Reproductive Health among Adolescent Boys and Young Men

Achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for adolescents and young people in Eastern and Southern Africa is essential for their well-being, advancing gender equality, and driving broader socio-economic development. Yet, many still face poor SRHR outcomes, including high rates of HIV, unplanned early pregnancies, violence experience and perpetration, and limited access to health and protection services. Despite considerable reductions in HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women, recent data suggest growing HIV incidence among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) in some countries in the region, alongside lower HIV treatment coverage among men. 

This evidence brief summarises findings from a multi-country analysis of the association between gender-inequitable attitudes and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) outcomes. The analysis draws on data from more than 4,900 adolescent boys and young men aged 13–24 from five cross-sectional, nationally representative Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS): Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.