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| Title: | Assessment of Attitudes and Practices of Community-Based Reproductive Health Agents towards Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Provision to Unmarried Young People in North Wollo Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Northeast Ethiopia |
| Authors: | Tuoumay, Halefom |
| Advisors: | Dr. Mesfin Addissie |
| Keywords: | Community-Based Reproductive
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Unmarried Young People |
| Copyright: | Apr-2007 |
| Date Added: | 6-May-2012 |
| Publisher: | AAU |
| Abstract: | Background Information: Sexual and reproductive health needs of young people remain
poorly understood and met, with little access to appropriate and acceptable sexual and
reproductive health services unlike that of married young people. In Ethiopia information on
attitudes and practices of community-based reproductive health agents towards sexual and
reproductive health service provision to young unmarried people is very limited.
Objective: To assess the attitudes and practices of community-based reproductive health
agents towards sexual and reproductive health service provision to unmarried young people.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five woredas of North Wollo Zone,
Amhara National Regional State, Northeast Ethiopia from December 2006 to January 2007. Data
were drawn from 303 actively functioning community-based reproductive health agents.
Results: A total of 303, 78.5% males and 21.5% females, actively functioning communitybased
reproductive health agents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Out of 285
agents, 46% were considered as good practicing and out of 266 respondents, 52% were with
positive outlook towards sexual and reproductive health service provision to the young. Only
about 15% and 21% of the respondents reported that their clients for family planning and sex
education, respectively, were unmarried young people. About 45% of the total respondents
preferred male clients to serve and only about 37% of agents had supported that unmarried
A thesis on assessment of attitudes and practices of community-based reproductive health agents
towards sexual and reproductive health service provision to unmarried young people
By Tuoumay Halefom AAU, Faculty of Medicine
April, 2007 Department of Community Health
xi
people are eligible for family planning services. Close to 90% of respondents supported the
sexual and reproductive health service provision to unmarried young people.
Moreover, about 74% of study subjects were willing to provide information on issues related to
sexual and reproductive health of the unmarried young but only about 26% of them had
supported the service provision to young unmarried people aged 18 or below years. Agents were
also willing in 88% of the cases to give contraceptive services to this group of people but still
with a restriction that the clients should be 18 and above years of age.
While knowledge and refresher training were significantly associated with practice of the agents,
service duration, supervision, knowledge and basic training of agents on sexual and reproductive
health of the young were significantly associated with willingness of agents to contraceptive
service provision to unmarried young people.
Conclusions: The agents’ comprehensive practice and attitude were moderate. Majority of
respondents supported and were willing to provide sexual and reproductive health services in
general and contraceptive services in particular to unmarried young people. Nevertheless, this
support and willingness was qualified by a condition that the clients should be married and 18 or
above years of age. Therefore, frequent supervision and continuous refresher training with
emphasis on the sexual and reproductive health needs of the young is highly recommended to be
part and parcel of community-based reproductive health programs. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2677 |
| Appears in: | Thesis - Public Health
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