Abstract
The fear of childbirth and access barriers to medical facilities constitute a substantial impediment to maternal and child health. This study examines childbirth-related fear and access barriers to maternity care among young adolescent girls, illuminating its influences and implications for facility-based deliveries. Employing a qualitative approach, the study conducted ten in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion involving young adolescent girls, including both mothers and pregnant individuals. Thematic analysis was employed to distill profound insights from this cohort. The phenomenological research method employed bolstered rigor and trustworthiness by discerning patterns and variations across participant responses. The analytical process was facilitated using ATLAS.ti qualitative software. Findings uncover factors contributing to childbirth-related fear and access constraints, including limited reproductive health education, cultural beliefs, societal stigmas, healthcare providers’ judgement, disempowerment in decision-making, financial obstacles, and anticipation of caesarean section and its long-term effects on fertility. These substantially affected facility-based deliveries, leading to increased home births, delayed care seeking, heightened maternal and neonatal mortality, and constrained postpartum care access. There is need to address barriers posed by cultural norms and socioeconomic disparities, emphasizing the imperative of multifaceted approaches to mitigate childbirth-related restrictions.