Abstract Background Young women (YW) in Angola face multiple, intersecting challenges related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including high rates of early and unintended pregnancy, limited access to contraception, gender-based violence (GBV), and unsafe abortion. These issues are shaped by structural inequalities, restrictive laws, stigma, and inadequate youth-friendly services. Despite the urgency, qualitative research exploring youth perspectives on SRH in Angola remains scarce.
Methods This qualitative study was conducted in May 2023 in Benguela Province, Angola, as part of the formative phase of the [Anonymised] project. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 27 young people aged 18–25, stratified by sex and setting (urban Lobito, rural Cubal). Participants were purposively selected to ensure diversity of background and recruited through civil society networks. Discussions followed a semi-structured guide and were analysed using thematic content analysis, integrating systems thinking and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model.
Results Participants identified early pregnancy as the most pressing concern, frequently linked to stigma, misinformation, social pressure, and lack of confidential services. Contraceptive use was limited by fear, myths, and gender dynamics, with abortion often emerging as a stigmatized but common response to unintended pregnancy. Testimonies revealed four “Itineraries of Reality” (IR): [1] abortion as moral crime [2], clandestine abortion as escape [3], forced continuation of pregnancy, and [4] an aspirational path toward safe, legal abortion. These trajectories were embedded in two “Vulnerability Circuits” (VC): unsafe abortion and intergenerational poverty. However, two Exit Strategies (ES)—social activism and legal-health system reform—and one Empowerment Pathway (EP) linked to youth-led associations and community spaces emerged as means of resistance and resilience.
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