Cultural Norms and Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in Bali, Indonesia: A Narrative Review

Adolescents worldwide encounter sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges influenced by socio-cultural factors (gender norms and taboos), particularly in low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC) such as those in the South-Eastern Asia region. Indonesia is of special interest in that region, given its heterogeneous island culture. This paper focuses on Bali, an Indonesian province with a unique Hinduism culture and religion distinct from predominantly Muslim regions. Through a systematic literature review of 19 adolescent studies (published between 2012 and 2022), we explore Bali’s SRH landscape. These research and practices primarily emphasise managing adolescent sexual behaviour to align with local socio-cultural norms. Few critically examine these norms concerning Indonesian youth’s human rights. Rigid norms and stereotypes hinder Balinese adolescents’ awareness of SRH information. Social taboos and institutional hurdles related to education, religion, and healthcare contribute to this challenge. Situated within youth studies, this review contributes to the literature by showing that gender norms, political interventions, sexual education institutions, and moral judgments significantly shape young people’s sexual lives in Bali. Under the weight of these norms, young individuals encounter numerous challenges in their pursuit of safe and fulfilling sexual experiences. Integrating insights from various studies, focusing on different aspects of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), and situating them in an integrative theoretical framework provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges to adolescent well-being in relation to their sexual and reproductive development. This review emphasises the need for context-specific interventions and rights-based approaches to the complexities of SRH, including in Bali.