A Brief Overview of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness of Adolescents in Kerala

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a critical and challenging period of life. Many adolescents today have patchy knowledge on SRH issues, which may lead to risky decision making concerning their health. Kerala, though one of the most literate states in India, is yet to implement comprehensive sex education. Objectives: To list the sources of information and to study the awareness of adolescents on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues among high school students in Kerala. Materials & Method: A cross sectional study was conducted among 8th, 9th, 10th class students. Multistage random sampling was conducted and a sample size of 338 was achieved. Data was collected via a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version-23. Results were explained in terms of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Results: Mean age of the study population was 14.2 ±0.88 years; most of them were females (58%) and followed Christian religion (49%); belonged to urban areas. The major sources of information for adolescents regarding SRH matters like private parts, type of touch, response to sexual assault and menstruation was their mother. When it comes to puberty changes, both mother and teachers were the major sources. Media was the most common source of information regarding Masturbation, sexual contact, pregnancy, contraception, STDs, and sexual abuse. There is wide disparity in the awareness of adolescents on major SRH issues. Conclusions: India has the largest adolescent population, and it is a country known to have strict traditional values and age-old cultures and customs. Adequate information through parents may improve the knowledge on these issues. Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education must be incorporated into their curriculum effectively to improve their SRH.