Beyond Silence: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Abortion Care among Young People in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Unsafe abortion remains a major public health and human rights concern globally, particularly among adolescents and young women in contexts with restrictive legal frameworks and limited access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) services. In Zimbabwe, abortion is permitted only under limited circumstances under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, yet evidence suggests low awareness of legal provisions and significant barriers to accessing safe care. This study examines the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to SRHR and abortion care among young people in Zvishavane District.
The research employed a mixed-methods KAP approach combining community consultations, stakeholder engagement, and analysis of existing SRHR service data to assess young people’s understanding of abortion laws, prevailing social attitudes, and care-seeking behaviors. The findings reveal significant knowledge gaps regarding legal indications for abortion, persistent stigma at community and service levels, and reliance on unsafe or informal abortion methods due to barriers such as cost, distance, and negative provider attitudes. Adolescents and young women face particular challenges in accessing confidential and youth-friendly services.
The study highlights the need for comprehensive sexuality education, improved legal awareness, strengthened youth-friendly health services, and community-level norm change to address stigma and misinformation. Policy reforms and service delivery improvements are essential to reduce unsafe abortion and strengthen reproductive health outcomes among young people. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on SRHR access in rural Zimbabwe and offer actionable pathways for policy and programmatic interventions.