Abstract

BackgroundSexual and reproductive health (SRH) of young people including those with disabilities is a major public health concern globally. However, available evidence on their use of sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) is inconsistent.ObjectiveThis study investigated utilisation of SRHS amongst the in-school young people with disabilities (YPWDs) in Ghana using the healthcare utilisation model.MethodsGuided by the cross-sectional study design, a questionnaire was used to obtain data from 2114 blind and deaf pupils or students in the age group 10-24 years, sampled from 15 purposively selected special schools for the deaf and the blind in Ghana.ResultsAbout seven out of every 10 respondents had ever utilised SRHS. The proportion was higher amongst the males (67.8%) compared with the females (62.8%). Young persons with disabilities in the coastal (OR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01–0.22) and middle (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01–0.44) zones were less likely to have ever utilised SRHS compared with those in the northern ecological zone. The blind pupils or students were more likely to have ever utilised SRHS than the deaf (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.26–3.11).ConclusionsGenerally, SRHS utilisation amongst the in-school YPWDs in Ghana is high but significantly associated with some predisposing, need and enabling or disabling factors. This underscores the need for policymakers to consider in-school YPWDs as a heterogeneous group in the design and implementation of SRHS programmes. The Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service should adopt appropriate pragmatic measures and targeted interventions in the special schools to address the SRH needs of the pupils or students.

Highlights

  • Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of young people has been recognised as an important public health issue (Odo et al 2018)

  • The main sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) received by young people with disabilities (YPWDs) was sexually transmitted infections (STIs) treatment

  • The conclusion that SRHS utilisation amongst the in-school YPWDs is associated with some factors has policy implications

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Summary

Introduction

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of young people has been recognised as an important public health issue (Odo et al 2018). According to global estimates of the WHO for 2016, there were approximately 376 million new infections of the four curable STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. From this figure, those aged 20–24 years recorded the highest proportion followed by those within the age group of 15–19 years (WHO 2018b). In Ghana, the overall mean prevalence of HIV infection peaked at 3.6% in 2003 and declined to 1.6% in 2014 For those in the age group of 15–24 years, the mean prevalence was 1.8% in 2014, and 8.0% of female respondents and 9.0% of male respondents reported to have contracted STI in the 12 months before the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) (Ghana Statistical Service, Ghana Health Service, ICF Macro 2015). Available evidence on their use of sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) is inconsistent

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