In this dissertation, we base our experience of carrying out participation in 4 EU-funded projects: EUROFETUS (Cost-Effectiveness of ultrasound screening for congenital anomalies); MOMS-B (MOther Mortality and Severe morbidity); PERISTAT(Monitoring and evaluating perinatal health) and EUPHRATES (EUropean Project on obstetric Haemorrhage Reduction: Attitudes, Trial, and Early warning System), an online questionnaire survey for researchers and a literature review, to provide results which will help us to understand the added value and the challenges of the EU collaboration research and the challenges of EU collaboration research in improving the quality and the accessibility of reproductive healthcare.<p>The EUROFETUS project showed that, despite the fact that the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies has been declining during the last twenty years, they are still a major cause of perinatal mortality and childhood disability in Europe. Congenital heart defects were among the most frequent and the most severe malformations, but were the least diagnosed prenatally. There was large variation between and within countries regarding the proportion of cases diagnosed prenatally and the proportion of cases resulting in termination of pregnancy. From the data available in Eurofetus, such variation might result from the cultural differences underling policy or on ultrasonographer’s expertise, or on differing interpretation of scientific evidence in the design and implementation of screening.<p>The MOMS-B project allowed population-based comparisons between countries by using the standardised definition that showed the three conditions (pre-eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis) selected to as markers of acute severe maternal morbidity are not rare in Europe. Severe haemorrhage was the most common of severe maternal morbidity condition, but its incidence varied widely between European countries.<p>The PERISTAT project on the indicators of unfavourable maternal health outcome showed that the maternal mortality ratios (per 100, 000 live births) for early obstetric death ranged from 2.8 to 11.4 across European countries studied. Such variation reflected different resources and systems in place with varying level of ascertainment in addition to difference in the number of maternal deaths.<p>The EUPHRATES project on a survey of current practice in relation to management of the third stage of labour and the immediate management of postpartum haemorrhage in 14 European countries showed that there were considerable differences in policies for managing the third stage of labour between and within the countries studied.<p> The online questionnaire survey for researchers showed that almost all researchers were satisfied with their participation in EU-funded project; the main benefits for them were transfer and sharing of experience and knowledge between researchers, but the administrative procedures should be simplified in the future. The description of the process needed to obtain ethical approval for a cluster randomized trial in the EUPHRATES project showed that there was considerable variation in time required and the criteria used amongst 14 European countries, with consequential delay in research and exclusion of one country from the trial. <p>Overall, we conclude that Community Framework programmes offer new opportunities to connect researchers from all over Europe to share expertise and resources, including computing tools, and make a real contribution to the creation of the European research area. The added value of EU collaborative research is particularly well positioned for improving foetal and maternal health, from the perspective of harmonizing case definitions, collecting the necessary number of cases within a limited period of time, comparing data between regions and countries, meeting the specific needs of the EU and giving a common response to European reproductive health questions. On the other hand, epidemiological data from multiple countries has advanced our understanding of important health-risks and their geographical distributions across Europe and provided the evidence to help people make better decisions about healthcare in the field of reproductive health for the future research.<p>We focus on reproductive health but believe that this approach could be adapted to other fields when appropriate./Dans cette thèse, nous avons basé notre expérience sur notre participation dans 4 projets européens (EUROFETUS, MOMS-B, PERISTAT et EUPHRATES), un questionnaire en ligne vers les chercheurs, et une revue de la littérature pour fournir les résultats qui nous aideront à comprendre la valeur ajoutée qu’apporte la recherche collaborative et les défis de cette recherche pour l’amélioration de la qualité et de l’accessibilité de la santé reproductive.<p>Le projet EUROFETUS montre que, en dépit du fait que la prévalence des anomalies congénitales à la naissance diminue depuis une vingtaine d’années, elles restent une cause majeure de mortalité périnatale et de handicaps infantiles. Les malformations cardiaques congénitales sont parmi les plus fréquentes et les plus sévères des malformations, mais aussi les moins diagnostiquées. Il y a de larges différences entre et à l’intérieur des pays concernant la proportion de cas diagnostiqués en prénatal et la proportion de cas résultant en interruption de grossesse. D’après les données disponibles dans EUROFETUS, de telles variations pourraient résulter de politiques de santé différentes, reflétant des divergences culturelles, de variations dans l’expertise des échographistes, ou encore d’interprétations divergentes de preuves scientifiques dans la conception ou la mise en place du screening.<p>Le projet collaboratif européen sur la Mortalité et la Morbidité Maternelle sévère (MOMB-B) a permis des comparaisons en population entre pays en utilisant une définition standardisée qui a montré que les trois pathologies sélectionnées (pré-éclampsie, hémorragie, sepsis) comme marqueurs de la morbidité maternelle sévère n’étaient pas rares en Europe. L’hémorragie sévère était la pathologie la plus fréquente, mais son incidence variait très fort d’un pays à l’autre.<p>The PERISTAT project on the indicators of unfavourable maternal health outcome showed that the maternal mortality ratios (per 100, 000 live births) for early obstetric death ranged from 2.8 to 11.4 across European countries studied. Such variation reflected different resources and systems in place with varying level of ascertainment in addition to difference in the number of maternal deaths.<p>Le projet EUPHRATES, par une enquête de pratique concernant le management de la troisième phase du travail et du management immédiat de l’hémorragie du postpartum dans 14 pays européens, a montré qu’il y avait des différences considérables dans les pratiques entre et à l’intérieur des pays en Europe.<p>Le questionnaire en ligne auprès des chercheurs a montré que la plupart étaient satisfaits de leur participation à des projets européens, les principaux bénéfices étaient le transfert et le partage d’expériences et de connaissances entre chercheurs mais que les procédures administratives devraient être simplifiées dans le futur. La description de l’utilisation des comités d’éthique dans l’essai EUPHRATES a montré de très grandes divergences.<p>En général, nous concluons que les programmes-cadres européens offrent de nouvelles opportunités aux chercheurs européens de partager l’expertise et les moyens, en ce compris les outils informatiques et contribuent à la création d’un espace européen de la recherche. La valeur ajoutée de la recherche collaborative est particulièrement importante pour améliorer la santé fœtale et maternelle par l’harmonisation de la définition des cas, la collecte du nombre nécessaire de cas dans une période déterminée, la comparaison des données entre les régions et pays, pour rencontrer les besoins spécifiques de l’Union Européenne et donner une réponse commune aux questions de santé reproductive en Europe. D’autre part, les données épidémiologiques de nombreux pays ont fait avancer notre compréhension de risques importants de santé maternelle et leur distribution géographique à travers l’Europe et apporté la preuve de la nécessité d’aider les gens à prendre la meilleure décision en ce qui concerne les soins en santé reproductive pour de futures recherches. <p>Nous nous sommes concentrés sur la santé reproductive mais nous croyons que cette approche pourrait être adaptée à d’autres domaines.<p><p> / Doctorat en Sciences de la santé publique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Despite all the legislative efforts regarding child protection and campaigns to prevent and combat early marriage and maternity, Mozambique was ranked 9th globally in terms of the prevalence of early marriage, with 48% of girls aged 20-24 marrying before the age of 18 years. The aim of this study was to develop a strategic alignment framework for the prevention and combat of early marriage and maternity in Zambézia Province, Mozambique. This study used a two-stage equal-status concurrent sequential mixed-method design. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey, administered to 383 early married, maternity and pregnant girls; life story interviews with early married, maternity and pregnant girls (25) aged 10-19 years; semi-structured interviews with professionals from the education and health sectors, local authorities, families of the early married, maternity and pregnant girls (37), and group discussions with members of a child committee (16). The results indicated that the majority of early married, maternity and pregnant girls only completed primary education (55.9%), followed by secondary education (39.9%), and higher education (2.9%). About 65% of adolescent girls became pregnant at the age of 15-17. Among adolescent girls, 18.8% had their first baby before the age of 15 years and 99.2% had their first baby before they were 18 years old. Among the early maternity girls (362), 24.3% responded “yes” to the questions about health complications during their first baby’s birth and 75.7% of the respondents said “no”. Socio-cultural meanings, such as socialisation into roles, legitimising having children, the value and benefits of the bridewealth, the role of initiation, the social meaning of the first menstruation, geographical and transport issues were the main drivers for school dropout, forcing adolescent girls to marry. Engaging in sexual practices was found to provide the girls a sense of meaning and purpose, or as a result of poverty. Physical aspects, interpersonal relations, education, work, and emotional distress were some of the negative consequences of early marriage and maternity. There were some relevant interventions and efforts to prevent and combat early marriage and maternity in Maganja da Costa and Morrumbala districts in Zambézia Province, Mozambique. However, the alignment of the activities implemented by different NGOs and CBOs to MNSPCM (2016-2019) was still a challenge. Only World Vision was implementing programmes aligned to the National Strategy. Based on the results, I developed a strategic alignment framework for the prevention and combat of early marriage and maternity in Zambézia Province, Mozambique. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

The purpose of this research study is to determine the factors influencing reproductive health choices of women living with HIV attending primary health care services. The need for this research study is evident in that most women attending health care services at primary health care clinics, and who are HIV positive report unintended pregnancy. The study sought to provide answers to factors influencing their reproductive choices. A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional research study was used in this study. The sample consisted of 83 females between the ages of 18 and 40. The findings of the research study provided the researcher with adequate evidence on the factors influencing reproductive health choices of women living with HIV attending primary health care services. The approach to reproductive health services was still acceptable but needs to be improved. Moreover, the identified factors therefore influenced one’s perceptions on reproductive health decisions among HIV-infected women. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is vital in the management of HIV/AIDS as it is the first step in treatment, care and behavioural change. Entrenched economic and gender inequities drive an increasingly feminized HIV/AIDS pandemic. This study investigated factors influencing VCT attendance by women in the Glen View high density suburb in Harare. A survey methodology was followed using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to randomly selected women of reproductive ages in the area. The analysis showed that VCT usage is low and that factors such as fear of the consequences of testing positive for HIV, such as violence and rejection by male partners are to blame. Importantly, the findings suggest that if the vulnerability of women is not addressed, then increased VCT uptake and better reproductive health outcomes for women are also unlikely. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

In 1996 the South African government legalised the termination of pregnancy (TOP) services, allowing women to choose to terminate unplanned pregnancies at designated facilities. Although TOP services are available, pregnant women continue to use illegal abortion services, with potentially life-risking consequences. The purpose of this study was to identify challenges encountered by women requesting TOP services, and to make recommendations for improved policies and practices, enabling more women in the North West Province (NWP) to access TOP services. This was a non-experimental, exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study. Structured interviews were conducted with 150 women who had used TOP services in phase 1, with 50 women who were unable to access TOP services in phase 2 and with 20 professional nurses providing TOP services in the NWP in phase 3. In phase 1, 96.0% (n=144) of the women needed transport to access TOP services, and 73.2% (n=109) indicated that nurses put women’s names on waiting lists, posing barriers to such access in the NWP. In phase 2, 92.0% (n=46) of these respondents had reportedly requested TOPs for the first time, but 89.0% (n=44) could not access TOP services. In phase 3, only 14 out of 19 designated facilities in the NWP, and only 20 nurses, provided TOP services during the study period. Out of the 20 interviewed nurses, 74.0% (n=14) regarded the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, Act 92 of 1996 (CTOP Act) was being unclear requiring a revision. These professional nurses provided TOP services in NWP, by choice. Unless more facilities and more nurses can provide TOP services to the women of the NWP, these services will continue to remain inaccessible, necessitating the continued utilisation of illegal abortion services, in spite of the TOP Act’s prescriptions. It is also recommended that management will provide sufficient support and training opportunities for professional nurses working in TOP services in the NWP. / Health Studies / (D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies))

Text in Afrikaans / Die effek van die klient-verpleegkundige-verhoudings op kliente se keuse en volgehoue gebruik van kontraseptiewe metodes het tot op hede baie min aandag geniet. Die doel van hierdie studie was 'n ondersoek na die ongetroude klient se persepsie van die verpleegkundige se houding. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 99 kliente (tussen die ouderdomme van 15 en 50 jaar) wat die betrokke reproduktiewegesondheidsklinieke in die Kaapse Metropool besoek het. Die eerste 20 kliente wat die kliniek besoek het, is genader om 'n vraelys in te vul. Hierdie studie toon 'n algehele positiwiteit, naamlik 58,3% teenoor die houding van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges. Die meerderheid van die kliente (88,0%) het aangedui dat hulle weer die kliniek sal besoek wat dus die kliente se tevredenheid toon. / The effect of the client-registered nurse relationship on clients' choice and continuous use of contraceptive methods has until now received very little attention. The purpose of this study was to explore unmarried clients' perception of the attitude of the registered nurse. The sample existed of 99 clients (between the ages of 15 and 50 years) who visited the relevant reproductive health clinics in the Cape Metropole. The first 20 clients who visited the clinic were approached to complete a questionnaire. This study shows an overall positivity of 58,3% with regard to the attitude of registered nurses. Most of the clients (88,0%) indicated that they would visit the clinic again, which indicate their satisfaction. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Background AIDS remains one of the world’s most serious health challenges affecting more females than men. The differences in the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among gender groups stem from biology, sexual behaviour and socially constructed gender differences between women and men in roles and responsibilities, access to resources and decision-making power. It could also be due to the females’ status in society which could be justified by lower economic and decision making ability. Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of gender in the spread of HIV among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia; with the view of developing gender sensitive HIV and AIDS prevention strategies. Methods The study used sequential mixed method with quantitative and qualitative paradigm. During first phase of the study, health facility based descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Data was collected from 422 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Forty participants were recruited by purposive sampling from representatives working in reproductive health or related fields. Results About 83.2% of respondents reported that sexual intercourse discussion should be initiated by male partners. This showed that majority of respondents were dependent on their male partners in decision-making regarding sexual matters in their relationship. Multiple sexual partners were common among the respondents. One third of the respondents reported to have had intercourse with more than one partner during the past twelve months of the study period. Higher proportion of respondents (61.4%, n=259) had never used condom during sexual intercourse with their partner/s. As a result these risky sexual practices are a potential threat for spread of HIV and AIDS among women. Thus developed guidelines would alleviate the existing problems through implementation of strategies of HIV and AIDS prevention to enhance women’s status at household and different administrative structure level. Conclusion Gender disparities in relation to negotiating sexual relations among the study respondents were found to be still relevant. The culture that has placed men at the helm of leadership in sexual matters is strongly upheld and that includes who recommends use of preventive measures and who regulates when and how to enter into a sexual relationship. Guidelines for gender sensitive prevention strategies if applied appropriately would educate women and men to make decision about what directly affects their health / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

M.A. (Research Consultation) / Adolescent and sexual reproductive health has been identified as among the most important health and development priorities by the South African development (Department of Health, 1995; African National Congress, 1994). The South African government, like many governments in the sub-Saharan region view with concern the region’s rapid population growth and high birth rates particularly among adolescents. This study investigated the perceptions of young mothers regarding teenage pregnancy. Eight participants who live in Vredendal, a predominantly Coloured area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, were selected for interviewing using convenient sampling. Transcripts of unstructured interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings of the study suggest that young mothers initially perceive teenage pregnancy negatively. These perceptions progressively changes to a positive one. Furthermore, the results indicate a limited awareness of available preventative interventions. Results further show participants tend to experience their relationships with significant others as positive. / Psychology

In this dissertation, we base our experience of carrying out participation in 4 EU-funded projects: EUROFETUS (Cost-Effectiveness of ultrasound screening for congenital anomalies); MOMS-B (MOther Mortality and Severe morbidity); PERISTAT(Monitoring and evaluating perinatal health) and EUPHRATES (EUropean Project on obstetric Haemorrhage Reduction: Attitudes, Trial, and Early warning System), an online questionnaire survey for researchers and a literature review, to provide results which will help us to understand the added value and the challenges of the EU collaboration research and the challenges of EU collaboration research in improving the quality and the accessibility of reproductive healthcare. The EUROFETUS project showed that, despite the fact that the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies has been declining during the last twenty years, they are still a major cause of perinatal mortality and childhood disability in Europe. Congenital heart defects were among the most frequent and the most severe malformations, but were the least diagnosed prenatally. There was large variation between and within countries regarding the proportion of cases diagnosed prenatally and the proportion of cases resulting in termination of pregnancy. From the data available in Eurofetus, such variation might result from the cultural differences underling policy or on ultrasonographer’s expertise, or on differing interpretation of scientific evidence in the design and implementation of screening. The MOMS-B project allowed population-based comparisons between countries by using the standardised definition that showed the three conditions (pre-eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis) selected to as markers of acute severe maternal morbidity are not rare in Europe. Severe haemorrhage was the most common of severe maternal morbidity condition, but its incidence varied widely between European countries. The PERISTAT project on the indicators of unfavourable maternal health outcome showed that the maternal mortality ratios (per 100, 000 live births) for early obstetric death ranged from 2.8 to 11.4 across European countries studied. Such variation reflected different resources and systems in place with varying level of ascertainment in addition to difference in the number of maternal deaths. The EUPHRATES project on a survey of current practice in relation to management of the third stage of labour and the immediate management of postpartum haemorrhage in 14 European countries showed that there were considerable differences in policies for managing the third stage of labour between and within the countries studied. The online questionnaire survey for researchers showed that almost all researchers were satisfied with their participation in EU-funded project; the main benefits for them were transfer and sharing of experience and knowledge between researchers, but the administrative procedures should be simplified in the future. The description of the process needed to obtain ethical approval for a cluster randomized trial in the EUPHRATES project showed that there was considerable variation in time required and the criteria used amongst 14 European countries, with consequential delay in research and exclusion of one country from the trial. Overall, we conclude that Community Framework programmes offer new opportunities to connect researchers from all over Europe to share expertise and resources, including computing tools, and make a real contribution to the creation of the European research area. The added value of EU collaborative research is particularly well positioned for improving foetal and maternal health, from the perspective of harmonizing case definitions, collecting the necessary number of cases within a limited period of time, comparing data between regions and countries, meeting the specific needs of the EU and giving a common response to European reproductive health questions. On the other hand, epidemiological data from multiple countries has advanced our understanding of important health-risks and their geographical distributions across Europe and provided the evidence to help people make better decisions about healthcare in the field of reproductive health for the future research. We focus on reproductive health but believe that this approach could be adapted to other fields when appropriate./Dans cette thèse, nous avons basé notre expérience sur notre participation dans 4 projets européens (EUROFETUS, MOMS-B, PERISTAT et EUPHRATES), un questionnaire en ligne vers les chercheurs, et une revue de la littérature pour fournir les résultats qui nous aideront à comprendre la valeur ajoutée qu’apporte la recherche collaborative et les défis de cette recherche pour l’amélioration de la qualité et de l’accessibilité de la santé reproductive. Le projet EUROFETUS montre que, en dépit du fait que la prévalence des anomalies congénitales à la naissance diminue depuis une vingtaine d’années, elles restent une cause majeure de mortalité périnatale et de handicaps infantiles. Les malformations cardiaques congénitales sont parmi les plus fréquentes et les plus sévères des malformations, mais aussi les moins diagnostiquées. Il y a de larges différences entre et à l’intérieur des pays concernant la proportion de cas diagnostiqués en prénatal et la proportion de cas résultant en interruption de grossesse. D’après les données disponibles dans EUROFETUS, de telles variations pourraient résulter de politiques de santé différentes, reflétant des divergences culturelles, de variations dans l’expertise des échographistes, ou encore d’interprétations divergentes de preuves scientifiques dans la conception ou la mise en place du screening. Le projet collaboratif européen sur la Mortalité et la Morbidité Maternelle sévère (MOMB-B) a permis des comparaisons en population entre pays en utilisant une définition standardisée qui a montré que les trois pathologies sélectionnées (pré-éclampsie, hémorragie, sepsis) comme marqueurs de la morbidité maternelle sévère n’étaient pas rares en Europe. L’hémorragie sévère était la pathologie la plus fréquente, mais son incidence variait très fort d’un pays à l’autre. The PERISTAT project on the indicators of unfavourable maternal health outcome showed that the maternal mortality ratios (per 100, 000 live births) for early obstetric death ranged from 2.8 to 11.4 across European countries studied. Such variation reflected different resources and systems in place with varying level of ascertainment in addition to difference in the number of maternal deaths. Le projet EUPHRATES, par une enquête de pratique concernant le management de la troisième phase du travail et du management immédiat de l’hémorragie du postpartum dans 14 pays européens, a montré qu’il y avait des différences considérables dans les pratiques entre et à l’intérieur des pays en Europe. Le questionnaire en ligne auprès des chercheurs a montré que la plupart étaient satisfaits de leur participation à des projets européens, les principaux bénéfices étaient le transfert et le partage d’expériences et de connaissances entre chercheurs mais que les procédures administratives devraient être simplifiées dans le futur. La description de l’utilisation des comités d’éthique dans l’essai EUPHRATES a montré de très grandes divergences. En général, nous concluons que les programmes-cadres européens offrent de nouvelles opportunités aux chercheurs européens de partager l’expertise et les moyens, en ce compris les outils informatiques et contribuent à la création d’un espace européen de la recherche. La valeur ajoutée de la recherche collaborative est particulièrement importante pour améliorer la santé fœtale et maternelle par l’harmonisation de la définition des cas, la collecte du nombre nécessaire de cas dans une période déterminée, la comparaison des données entre les régions et pays, pour rencontrer les besoins spécifiques de l’Union Européenne et donner une réponse commune aux questions de santé reproductive en Europe. D’autre part, les données épidémiologiques de nombreux pays ont fait avancer notre compréhension de risques importants de santé maternelle et leur distribution géographique à travers l’Europe et apporté la preuve de la nécessité d’aider les gens à prendre la meilleure décision en ce qui concerne les soins en santé reproductive pour de futures recherches. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur la santé reproductive mais nous croyons que cette approche pourrait être adaptée à d’autres domaines.

On s’accorde à dire que les adolescents constituent l’avenir quel que soit le temps et l’espace considéré. Il est également reconnu que le développement de leur capital humain et social, nécessaire pour une vie adulte de qualité, dépend des conditions dans lesquelles ils vivent et de l’environnement dans lequel s’opérera la transition vers cette vie adulte. Plus que dans toute autre partie du monde, ce constat est encore plus d’actualité en Afrique sub-Saharienne où, à la situation socio-économique déjà précaire, s’ajoutent d’importants problèmes de santé sexuelle et reproductive auxquels font face les adolescents en particulier le VIH. Conscients de l’enjeu majeur que représente la santé des adolescents, les gouvernements en Afrique sub-Saharienne, aidés en cela par les organismes non-gouvernementaux et toute la communauté internationale, ont inscrit la promotion de stratégies efficientes en santé sexuelle et reproductive des adolescents comme haute priorité dans leurs agendas. Mais force est de constater que l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre de telles stratégies supposent la production de connaissances sans cesse actualisées ainsi que la formulation de politiques innovatrices basées sur des données probantes et éprouvées en matière de santé sexuelle et reproductive, ce qui n’est pas toujours le cas. De plus, le fait que ce segment particulier de la population ne constitue pas un groupe homogène pose un défi supplémentaire quant à l’élaboration de stratégies généralisables. Fort de ce qui précède, le présent travail, qui porte sur le Burkina Faso, le Ghana, le Malawi et l’Ouganda, fait d’abord le point sur les problèmes majeurs de santé sexuelle et reproductive auxquels fait face cette frange spécifique de la population, tout en jetant un regard critique sur les efforts déployés par les sciences sociales pour les analyser. Il apporte ensuite des réponses à des questions spécifiques de recherche que nous nous sommes posées à travers les trois articles qui constituent l’ossature de cette thèse et dont l’essentiel de l’analyse empirique peut être résumé comme suit : Dans le premier article, nous sommes partis du constat suivant : dans les quatre pays étudiés, une importante proportion des adolescents qui se déclarent non encore sexuellement actifs pensent paradoxalement que leurs chances de contracter le VIH sont très grandes. Face à un tel constat, la question que l’on est en droit de se poser est celle de savoir pourquoi sont-ils si préoccupés? Quels sont les facteurs qui déterminent cette perception du risque? Les résultats confirment ce que certaines études ont déjà démontré à savoir que les individus élaborent leur propre définition du risque qui peut ne pas se résumer nécessairement à une opposition binaire «risque/aucun risque», mais est plutôt fonction des caractéristiques individuelles mais aussi du contexte social et épidémiologique dans lesquels ils vivent. Le deuxième article de la thèse analyse le contexte dans lequel s’opère la transition vers le premier rapport sexuel chez les adolescentes des quatre pays étudiés. Il part du constat selon lequel les recherches ont très souvent abordé les comportements sexuels des adolescents sous un angle marqué par la dichotomie entre les «sexuellement actifs» et les «non encore sexuellement actifs». Or le calendrier de l’entrée en sexualité et le contexte dans lequel elle a lieu (dans l’union ou hors union) sont non seulement des marqueurs des comportements sexuels à risque vis-à-vis du VIH, mais ils conditionnent aussi et surtout la qualité de la transition vers l’entrée dans la vie adulte. Les résultats montrent ici également que le contrôle parental est significativement associé à une faible probabilité pour les adolescents d’initier la sexualité hors de l’union. Quant au troisième article, il se penche sur un cas précis de comportement à risques chez les adolescents: le multipartenariat sexuel aggravé par la non utilisation systématique du condom, pourtant le seul moyen pour l’instant (en dehors de l’abstinence) de se protéger contre les infections sexuellement transmissibles et le VIH/SIDA. Les résultats montrent entre autres que le contrôle parental est significativement associé à une faible probabilité de comportement sexuel à risque, défini ici comme étant la co-occurrence de plusieurs partenaires sexuels au cours de 12 derniers mois et la non-utilisation systématique du condom avec chacun des partenaires. Sur un plan programmatique, ce résultat est plutôt encourageant car il prouve que l’autorité parentale jadis considérée comme érodée, demeure une pierre angulaire dans les stratégies de prévention du VIH chez les adolescents. / Adolescent girls and boys represent key segments of the population for the future in all societies across the world. The readiness of these young people to assume adult roles and responsibilities in the future, both for themselves and for their countries, depends in large part on how successfully they manage their critical transitions to adulthood and on the support they receive from their families, communities and governments during this period of their lives. Investment in adolescent sexual and reproductive health is likely to be of enormous importance to the development prospects of sub-Saharan Africa and the future wellbeing of African populations, as it enables adolescents to grow into healthy and productive adults. While protecting the health of young Africans is recognized as a priority at the community, national and international levels, policies and programs, if they are to be effective, need to be evidence-based and appropriate to each local context. This thesis focuses on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in four sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. It aims to expand the knowledge base needed to develop and implement programs and policies that will increase adolescents’ ability to prevent HIV and contribute to the creation of a safe and supportive environment essential to their growth and development. The research is organized around three empirical articles along with introductive chapters and a general conclusion, and is designed to answer a number of questions of policy importance. The first article deals with the perceptions of HIV risks by adolescents who are not yet sexually active. The topic is of considerable interest because of its potential importance for HIV prevention programs, particularly when sexually inexperienced adolescents report high levels of concern over their likelihood of contracting HIV over time. Findings show that there is no single influence on adolescents’ HIV risk perception, but rather a range of determinants that operate at the individual, environmental and community levels. This finding suggests that programs and policies should take into account factors that extend beyond the characteristics of adolescents when addressing their sexual and reproductive health needs. The second article of the thesis examines the context in which adolescent girls’ transition to first sexual intercourse occurs in the four countries. Going beyond the usual dichotomy of sexual experienced versus inexperienced adolescents, it analyzes simultaneously the factors associated with sexual initiation before and within the first union for adolescent girls aged 12-19. The results show that a high level parental monitoring is significantly associated with a decreased risk of adolescents’ becoming sexually active prior to marriage. A policy recommendation of this study is that public and nongovernmental organizations need to more fully integrate parents into their programs on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The third article examines two specific aspects of sexual risk behaviour among adolescents: multipartnership and condom use. Our findings show that adolescents who report high levels of parental control are less likely to have multiple sexual partners. In terms of policy and programmatic implications, this result again suggests that parents’ influence over their children’s behavior, widely assumed to have declined over time, remains important to reproductive health interventions in diverse contexts in sub-Saharan Africa.