Abstract
In humanitarian settings, ~35 million girls and young women of reproductive age (15–24) are in urgent need of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Young women and girls in humanitarian contexts are particularly vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, and early and forced marriage. We sought to understand girls' and young women's experiences with unwanted pregnancy, abortion, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gender-based violence (GBV), and forced marriage in an IDP camp in Northeastern Nigeria. We conducted 25 in-depth interviews with girls aged 15–19 (N = 13; 8 single and 5 married) and young women aged 20–24 (N = 12; 3 single and 9 married). All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, computer recorded and coded for analysis. The participants in our study fled from and witnessed violence to arrive in the IDP camp with little material support. Lack of necessities, especially food, has driven many to sex in exchange for goods or into forced marriages. This, in turn, leads to increased unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Participants had limited knowledge about contraception, and some information about SRH services available in the camp, but overall, knowledge and utilization of SRH services was low.
Highlights
In 2021, 235 million people will need humanitarian protection and assistance accounting for 1 out of every 33 people worldwide [1]
We interviewed 13 girls aged 15–19 and (8 single and 5 married) and 12 young women aged 20–24 (3 single and 9 married)
Most participants fled the Boko Haram insurgency to arrive in the camp and witnessed or experienced tremendous violence along their journey
Summary
In 2021, 235 million people will need humanitarian protection and assistance accounting for 1 out of every 33 people worldwide [1]. Humanitarian emergencies, including forced displacements and fragile contexts, heighten sexual and reproductive health (SRH) vulnerabilities, for women and girls [5,6,7]. In humanitarian settings, ∼35 million girls and young women of reproductive age [15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25] are in urgent need of SRH information and services [8]. While the minimum health care package in humanitarian settings requires the inclusion of SRH services, use of and access to SRH services in many refugee contexts and situations of internal displacements in sub-Saharan Africa remains sub-optimal, especially for women and girls [6, 9, 10]
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