Youth Reproductive Health Problems and Service Preferences, Assebe Teferi West Hararghe
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Date
2004-04
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
World wide, young women and men suffer a disproportionate share of unplanned
pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and other serious
reproductive health problems. This cross-sectional community based descriptive
study was conducted in West Harargie, Assebe Teferi, with the main objectives of
assessing magnitude of risky reproductive health behaviors of youth, level of
substance use, magnitude of factors that influence the preference and utilization of
health services and examining youth attitude and willingness to VCT. Based on
probability proportionate to the population size of each kebele and sub zones, lottery
method was used to identify the study population.
Out of targeted 844 youth aged 15-24, 774 responded to the structured questionnaire,
out of which 375 (48.4%) were male, with male to female ratio of 1:1.06. Among the
study participants, 490 (63.3%) belong to age 15-19, and 106 (13.7%) were married.
Sixty seven percent of them married before reaching to age 18, with mean age 17.2 +
2.4 years. It was also identified that 9% of the marital lock were by abduction.
Out of the total respondents, 35.6% were sexually active, comprising 34.53%
married and 65.47% unmarried. Eight point one percent of the sexually active group
had reported that during their first sexual intercourse they were being victims of rape.
In addition to this, hundred forty two (70.65%) of unmarried sexually active group
had unsafe sex at their first intercourse, (not used condom). Consequently, 13 (4.2%)
and 32 (10.4%) of them encountered STDS and Unwanted Pregnancy at their first
sexual exposure, respectively. Ever use of Modern Contraceptive was found to be
25.7% among the sexually active group, while condom utilization at the last
intercourse was 63.2% among unmarried. Because of unsafe sexual practice, 29
(9.41%) of the sexually active had history of STDs in the last one year prior to this
study, out of which 2.3% of the cases were among married. It was also reported that
102 (33.2%) of the sexually active youths encountered unwanted pregnancy in
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their life time sexual relations with partners, out of which 30.4% of the cases were
ended with abortion.
The magnitude of substance use among the youth was assessed and it revealed that
420 (54.3%) of the respondents had exposure to the substance use and thirty eight
percent of them reported that their sexual desire rises following substance use. In the
assessment of utilization and preference of the health institution, thirty six point
seven percent of the respondents preferred to be served in FGAE clinic. On the other
hand, 18.7% of the study group claimed that the existing HI was not welcoming
when needing a service, the reasons were, 73.4% and 58.3% of them complained
prolonged waiting for the service and service inconsistency, respectively. Because of
these, youth friendly health service was suggested to be available and 316 (41%) of
the youth indicated the need to rearrange in the existing health institution having its
own unit, and thirty six point seven percent of the them preferred to be served by
young and of the same sex. This study also revealed that 88.5% of the respondents
have VCT information and 92.2% of them reported that they need to have VCT.
Logistic regression analysis indicated that, female were more vulnerable to risk
reproductive behaviors as compared to their male counterpart. On the other hand, the
older group was found to have more risky reproductive behavior as compared to the
younger one. It was also observed that married group had risky reproductive
behaviors as compared to non married. Similarly, those who used the substance and
those who had pocket money were also indicated to have an association with risky
reproductive behaviors. From this study it was concluded that youth in the study area
were exercising high risky reproductive behaviors that exposed them to various RH
problems, and Youth focused health services were not well organized thus needs the
collaboration among different sectors and the community to facilitate youth friendly
health services to promote youth health.