Sexual and reproductive health and rights
Sexual and reproductive health and rights are fundamental to health, gender equality and the well-being of humanity. The focus of this research group is on researching the following topics: sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young adults in different contexts, sexuality education, family planning, policies, strategies and evaluation of complex interventions.
Ongoing projects
Nexus4Her: Addressing the Nexus: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Mental Health of Young Refugee and Migrant Women in Ecuador and Uganda
The Nexus4Her project addresses a critical gap in evidence-based, integrated interventions for young refugee and migrant women (YWRMs), who face disproportionately high rates of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges such as teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and yet with limited knowledge and low access to and uptake of SRH services. In addition, there is a high prevalence of mental health (MH) disorders such as depression and post-traumatic disorders that may be exacerbated by the migration circumstances or existing SRH challenges. In Ecuador and Uganda, where health care resource constraints, discrimination, and cultural barriers compound these issues, Nexus4Her aims to generate new knowledge and implement effective, context-adapted strategies that improve the holistic well-being of YWRMs.
Project period: 2026-2029
Project partners: Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda and University of Cuenca, Ecuador
Funding: Volkswagen Foundation
SRHUM: Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge and Education among Unaccompanied Minor Refugees in Berlin, Germany
While SRH education is vital for migrant adolescents navigating new cultural norms, there is limited evidence on effective approaches and their specific needs. The SRHUM project aims to explore and improve SRH knowledge and educational gaps among unaccompanied minor refugees in Berlin, Germany. The study will be composed of age- and development-appropriate, mixed-method approaches.
Project period: 2025-2027
Project partner: Institute of International Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Funding: GLOHRA
MAI (Menstrual Blood analysis with Artificial Intelligence)
ANSER (Academic Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy)
Completed projects
I-SHARE (International Sexual Health And REproductive Health) Survey
REPEAT (Preventing repeat adolescent pregnancy in rural Southwestern Uganda)
Teenage pregnancies continue to be a major global health concern worldwide. Uganda is facing a pandemic of teenage pregnancies due to the challenges that the COVID 19 pandemic has caused in the education sector. The aim of this project is to prevent repeat pregnancies among adolescents in southwestern Uganda by researching the underlying risk factors and testing a targeted, youth-friendly and age-appropriate intervention.
Specific project objectives are: 1. to assess the risks and protective factors for adolescent re-pregnancy; 2. to co-develop and test an intervention to prevent adolescent re-pregnancy; 3. to assess the feasibility, acceptability and short-term effectiveness of the pilot intervention.
Project period: 2022-2024
Project partner: Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda
Funding: GIZ
Ramachandran, R., Kunhardt, H., Chaltikyan, G., and Ivanova, O. Quality assessment of menopause apps using Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) in India. BMC Digit Health 4, 12 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-026-00246-z
O.Ivanova, A. R.Assifi, and D.Mazza, “How Can We Ensure Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information for Adolescents in Light of Australia's Social Media Restrictions?,” Medical Journal of Australia224, no. 1 (2026): e70134, https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.70134.
Tan RKJ, Hensel D, Ivanova O, Bravo RG, Olumide A, Adebayo E, Cleeve A, Gesselman A, Shah SJ, Adesoba H, Marley G, Tang W. Telemedicine Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 8 Countries From the International Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Consortium: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey Study, J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e60369, https://doi.org/10.2196/60369
Khadka, K.B., Koirala, N., Ivanova, O. et al. Newborn morbidities and care procedures at the special newborn care units of Gandaki Province, Nepal: a retrospective study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 24, 883 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-07120-8
Ramachandran R, Namatovu S, Atwine D, Tumuhairwe J, Nyakato VN, Kemigisha E, Ivanova O. Repeat adolescent pregnancies in Southwestern Uganda: A cross-sectional study. Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec;20:17455057241302449. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241302449. PMID: 39703001; PMCID: PMC11660276.
Korri R, Ivanova O. A series of workshops to present research findings and fill knowledge gap among adolescent girls and young women on sexual and reproductive health in Lebanon: An example of active knowledge dissemination. J Glob Health. 2023 Sep 1;13:03044. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.03044. PMID: 37655369; PMCID: PMC10472200.
Zhao M, O'Hara CA, Sahril NB, Liu H, Pei K, Ivanova O, Larsson EC, Shamu S, Kpokiri E, Cleeve A, Tucker JD, Michielsen K, Zhang WH. Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and women's fertility intentions: a multi-country, cross-sectional (I-SHARE) study. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2024 Apr 11;50(2):83-91. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsrh-2023-201819. PMID: 37857464.
