Perceptions of adolescents from a rural parish on family communication, social judgment, and guidance in sexual and reproductive health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62305/biosana.v6i5.1284Keywords:
adolescent; rural population; sexual and reproductive health; communication; qualitative researchAbstract
Guidance in sexual and reproductive health among rural adolescents depends on family, community, and health service factors. This study aimed to analyze the perceptions expressed by adolescents from La Unión rural parish (Jipijapa, Ecuador) regarding family communication, responsibility, social judgment, and sources of support. A descriptive, retrospective qualitative study was conducted, using thematic analysis of material produced during Phase II of a community engagement project with 40 adolescents aged 11 to 16 years: 10 response sheets completed in pairs after a video, 13 phrases from a belief-mapping activity, and 6 later reflections. Five themes were constructed: trust with parents as a gateway; risk and responsibility as causes attributed to early pregnancy; social judgment; gaps in support; and the discourse of going to the health center, with an isolated signal of poor communication in services. The later reflections highlighted information and respect. It is concluded that family trust and information appear as facilitators of guidance and social judgment as a possible barrier; studies with individual-level data are needed to confirm them.
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