“Such conversations are not had in the families”: a qualitative study of the determinants of young adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information in Rwanda

BACKGROUND: Access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information during adolescence has become a global concern. This study explored factors that enable or prevent young adolescents from accessing to SRHR information from the perspective of the key informants in Rwanda. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 16 purposively selected key informants from public and private institutions in Rwanda. This selection was based on their positions and expertise in delivering SRHR information to adolescents. The interview guide questions were designed based on the social-ecological theoretical framework of adolescent health. The interview transcripts were recorded, transcribed, translated and thematically analysed in Nvivo 11. RESULTS: The study reflected that multiple enablers and barriers at the individual, relationship, community and societal levels determined young adolescents' access to SRHR information. These determinants include information-seeking behaviour and age of starting sexuality education at the individual level; and parents' limited communication with young adolescents due to taboos, lack of skills, limited parental availability, beliefs, lack of appropriate language and peer norms at the relationships level. Enablers and barriers at the community level were the diversity of SRHR sources, the scope of sexuality education programmes, and cultural and religious beliefs. Finally, the perceived enablers and barriers at the societal level consisted of inadequate resources, inappropriate SRHR policy-making processes and unfriendly SRHR laws. CONCLUSION: Enabling access to SRHR information requires addressing multiple factors within the social-ecological environment of young adolescents. Addressing these factors may facilitate improved access to SRHR information for this age group.