Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and services ensures that people can decide if, when, and how often to have children, have a safe pregnancy, and have a safe and satisfying sex life1. Essential to achieving SRH is the right of women and men to make informed choices and have access to safe and affordable methods of contraception.
Despite a recent decline, Vanuatu’s adolescent birth rate is persistently high and ranks among the highest in the Pacific region. This is even amidst improvements in SRH services. There is limited understanding and research on young people’s access to and knowledge of family planning, safe sex, and modern contraception in Vanuatu. Most studies investigating SRH in Vanuatu have focused on Efate and Santo, the two most populous islands, which benefit from better healthcare access, connectivity, and proximity to urban centres.
This mostly qualitative study is the first to explore these issues among young people in Penama Province (Pentecost Island). Multiple definitions of “youth” exist in Vanuatu. Government of Vanuatu youth policies define youth as 12–302. Given the complexities of small, dispersed communities and the study’s sensitive nature, this study included young people aged 14–34.
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