Gibson, Sarah Elizabeth.Mwelwa, Ringford Abel.2025-11-172025-11-1720242024https://hdl.handle.net/10413/24101Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The Covid-19 pandemic caused several challenges in the health sector, particularly in the area of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services including physical access to information. However, the challenge of adolescent girls’ access to SRHR information in Zambia in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic is understudied (if at all). This study aimed at investigating the role of mobile media in adolescent girls’ access SRHR information in four selected secondary schools in Lusaka Zambia. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the already existing vulnerabilities of adolescents’ access to SRHR information. This was caused by measures implemented to curb the spreading of Covid-19 such as lockdowns, restrictions on movements, prolonged closure of schools. Due to such measures, adolescents could no longer access SRHR information through face-to-face mobilizations such as workshops, drama, seminars, and classroom learning of comprehensive sexuality education. Additionally, the fear of contracting Covid-19 prevented women and young people from visiting health facilities for SRHR services. Community outreach services for SRHR also reduced during Covid-19. This thesis employed a qualitative approach that utilized FGDs for data collection. The study revealed that before Covid-19, adolescent girls had access to SRHR information through various sources, including Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) in schools, Peers, Youth-friendly corners at health facilities and clubs in schools and even their friends at home. However, Covid-19 affected access to SRHR information through school closures and lockdowns. The findings of this study indicate that adolescent girls in Zambia during Covid-19 were profoundly dependent on mobile media to access information SRHR given the restrictions on movements and prolonged school closures. The majority of participants reported using Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube to search for SRHR information, and of these, Google was the most popular mobile media source. Additionally, the findings indicate that while many participants relied on mobile media for SRHR information, they had concerns about issues such as: accuracy of information, privacy, reliability, exposure to pornographic content, and risk of online abuse. The study underscores the potential of integrating mobile media with traditional methods to address SRHR information gaps among adolescent girls, particularly during crises. In addition, the findings reveal that mobile media has the potential to empower adolescent girls with SRHR knowledge, but there are also challenges and limitations to be addressed to ensure the safety of the adolescent girls as well as the quality and accuracy of information accessed. Furthermore, the study findings demonstrate the need to design SRHR information access’ interventions that consider the digital divide and unequal access to technology. Additionally, there is need for infrastructure development to enhance internet speed, reduce internet costs, expand network provision to include all areas in Zambia, and to stabilise electricity services. By and large, the study places emphasis on the need for a comprehensive approach to information access on SRHR that integrates both online and offline platforms to address the SRHR information needs of adolescent girls in Zambia.enCC0 1.0 Universalhttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/Adolescents--Covid-19 pandemic--Zambia.Sexual reproductive health and rights.Mobile media--Covid-19--Zambia.Self-Determination.Participatory culture.Mobile audiences.Thesis