Reproductive Justice and Contraceptive Autonomy Among Adolescent Girls in Peri-Urban Communities

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, September 2026 | pp. 139–152

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001305

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Reproductive Justice and Contraceptive Autonomy Among Adolescent Girls in Peri-Urban Communities

Names of Author: Ngozi Ezeaku¹, Hannah Lindqvist², & Carlos Mendoza³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Public Health, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; ²Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; ³Faculty of Social Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.

Abstract:
Access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services remains heavily contested for adolescent girls living in rapidly expanding peri-urban settlements across the Global South. While public health campaigns frequently prioritize fertility reduction through biomedical family planning targets, provider bias, parental consent requirements, and religious stigma often prevent unmarried young women from exercising genuine contraceptive autonomy. Consequently, adolescents face heightened risks of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and interrupted schooling. This paper examines how adolescent girls navigate reproductive decision-making and institutional gatekeeping in peri-urban Lagos and Mexico City. Grounded in reproductive justice theory, the study combines participatory focus groups with 75 adolescent girls and interviews with community health workers. The findings reveal that youth-led peer education networks and confidential community clinics play crucial roles in counteracting moralistic medical gatekeeping and empowering girls to claim bodily self-determination.

Keywords: Reproductive justice, contraceptive autonomy, adolescent girls, peri-urban health, bodily self-determination, sexual health, Nigeria, Mexico

Manuscript Timeline: Received: July 10, 2026; Revised: August 14, 2026; Accepted: August 18, 2026; Published: September 15, 2026.

Citation: Ezeaku, N., Lindqvist, H., & Mendoza, C. (2026). Reproductive Justice and Contraceptive Autonomy Among Adolescent Girls in Peri-Urban Communities. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 139–152. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001305

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