Sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge and learning experiences of 1.5-generation Bangladeshi women in Toronto: An intersectional analysis.

This article examines the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) knowledge and learning experiences of 1.5-generation Bangladeshi women—those who immigrated to Canada as children or adolescents—living in Toronto, Ontario. Using an intersectional framework, the study identifies significant gaps in participants’ understanding of sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STDs/STIs), their transmission, prevention, symptoms, and contraception, alongside limited uptake and depth of school-based sex education. The research highlights how intersecting social identities (age, gender, ethnicity, religion) and contextual factors (family, culture of origin, country of emigration, media) shape SRHR knowledge formation, with cultural taboos and limited parental communication further constraining information access. The findings underscore the need for improved, culturally sensitive sex education in schools and community-based initiatives that engage families to better support the SRHR information needs of Bangladeshi immigrant youth in Toronto.