Psychosocial determinants of reproductive health in adolescents and young adults: a longitudinal study in the southern context

The present program investigates the psychosocialdeterminants of the non-use of contraception andreproductive distress in two complementarypopulations: adult women in IVG and adolescents in aschool context. The study is placed in a criticaldemographic framework: in 2023 the total fertility rate inItaly reached an all-time low of 1.20 children per woman(ISTAT, 2024), with Sicily among the most affectedregions. The international literature documents that thelack of contraceptive use is not reducible to economic oraccess barriers, but reflects a constellation ofpsychological, relational and sociocultural factors:dysfunctional beliefs, couple dynamics, stigma and lackof knowledge of local services.