The Regional SRHR Fund’s latest technical brief aims to support an evidence-led advocacy process by focusing on age of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services for adolescents in selected Eastern and Southern African countries. By analyzing current legal and policy frameworks, the brief explores how age of access regulations impact the ability of adolescents and young people to secure essential SRHR services. It concludes with recommendations on how these frameworks could be improved, ensuring no young person is left behind.
A primary focus of this analysis is the tension between protection and autonomy in age of consent laws. In many contexts, legal gaps are often filled by restrictive social and cultural norms rather than rights-based protocols. This brief identifies where these intersections create barriers, particularly regarding contraception, and offers a strategy for duty bearers to move past taboos toward a clearer, more accessible legal environment.
