Adolescent Reproductive Health Services Research Articles

Factors Associated with Teenage Pregnancy in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe

Teenage pregnancies are a global problem mainly in marginalised communities resulting in complications, societal rejection and deaths. In Zimbabwe, 48% of the teenage pregnancies occurred between 13-19 years. Mutasa District, one of the Districts in Zimbabwe has high rate of teenage pregnancies. Teenage abortions rose from 3/1000 in 2018 to 5/1000 in 2019. We conducted a study on the factors associated with teenage pregnancies in Mutasa District in the year 2018 and 2019. The specific objectives were to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancies, to determine the sociocultural, economic and religious factors influencing teenage pregnancies and to assess the availability and utilisation of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. A multi-methods+ study design was used with a sample size of 80 cases and 80 controls from four hospitals in Mutasa. Systematic sampling was employed where every <i>3<sup>rd</sup> </i>subject was systematically selected upon satisfaction of the inclusion criteria, with sampling interval observed. A quantitative survey and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to collect data. The results showed that 72 (90%) of the cases only had primary school education. Being single orphans 60 (75%), having information and education gaps 77 (96.3%), being chased off home to go to the male partner 49 (61.3%) were the prevalent factors linked to teenage pregnancies. Having been disciplined when found with contraceptives led to 41 (51.3%) of the pregnancies. Having the boyfriend as a source of livelihood allowances contributed to 59 (73.8%) of teenage pregnancies while being a member of an Apostolic Sect contributed 65 (82.3%) of the cases. The FGDs revealed that the Youth Friendly Centres were inadequate for the community, poorly resourced having no comprehensive preventive services and therefore poorly utilised. In addition, teenage pregnancy preventions were stereotyped to females only with current interventions being predominantly reactionary than preventive. The findings of this study suggest the need for reproductive health information, gender inclusive programming, and provision of a sundry of well-resourced Youth Friendly Centres in the District and a focus on tailor-made preventive interventions rather than punitive ones.

Implementing Quality Improvement Initiatives to Improve the Use of Adolescent- and Youth-Friendly Health Services in Zou, Benin.

In Benin, the unmet need for family planning services is especially high for adolescent girls and youth aged 15-24 years. The Challenge Initiative (TCI) supported the health system to assess and improve the quality of adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health services and enhance contraceptive uptake in 65 service delivery points (SDPs) of the Zou department. Between June 2019 and March 2021, TCI supported the health districts in Zou to train an assessment team to complete 3 cycles of quality assessments (QAs) using a QA checklist adapted to the local context. Based on assessment scores, the SDPs were categorized into poor, moderate, or good to excellent quality. The SDP managers developed remedial action plans after each cycle and for each SDP and followed up with supportive supervision. The first QA cycle showed that 52% of assessed SDPs achieved a good to excellent classification; by the second QA cycle, this reached 74%. However, the quality of adolescent- and youth-friendly health services regressed during the third QA cycle (during COVID-19 pandemic disruptions), when only 40% of SDPs achieved the good to excellent category. Between the first and second QA cycles, contraceptive uptake for adolescents and youth improved in the SDPs that had good or excellent quality of services, compared to the ones that were of lower quality (established significance level of 5% with a P value of .031). Further assessments could deepen our understanding of the internal and external factors that can affect service quality. The findings reinforce the importance of investing in quality improvement strategies to maximize the use of sexual and reproductive health services among adolescents and youth. They also underscore the need for a contextual and nuanced approach to ensure enduring results.

Qualitative Study of Street Children’s Awareness, Perceptions, Needs and Barriers in Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health in Lusaka District, Zambia

Background: Sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents are fundamental for the prevention and control of sexual and reproductive health problems. The sexual and reproductive health services play a critical role in enhancement of adolescent’s health generally. However, children living on the streets are ill-placed to draw benefit from such services. The main purpose of this study was to assess streets children’s awareness, perceptions, needs and barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health in Lusaka district. Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted for this study. Snow ball sampling was used to identify and collect data from a total of 61 children living on the streets in Lusaka Central Business District. Instruments for data collection consisted of interview schedules used to collect data from children living on the streets as well as Key informant interviews with adolescent health focal point persons from health facilities. All data collection instruments were pre-tested. Data analysis was done using categorization. Results: A total of 61 participants were interviewed among them males constituting (70.49 per cent) per cent while females constituted (29.51 per cent). The majority (59.01per cent) reported that they were not aware of what sexual and reproductive health was. A majority (81.96 per cent) of respondents were aware of at least more than one sexual and reproductive health service with condoms being reported by (68.95 per cent) of respondents. The study also found that the majority (83.6 per cent) of respondents reported awareness on where to access sexual and reproductive health services. The study also showed that the majority (60.65 per cent) reported as perceiving sexual and reproductive health as important to them. Additionally, (68.85 per cent) of respondents reported that condoms are the sexual and reproductive health service they needed. The study showed that (77.04 per cent) of respondents were sexually active and out of ...

16. Assessment of Inpatient Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth: A Survey of Children's Hospitals

16. Assessment of Inpatient Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth: A Survey of Children's Hospitals

Utilization of Adolescent Information and Counseling Centers (PIK-R) on Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors About Premarital Sex in Nursing Study Program Students Mulawarman University Faculty of Medicine Samarinda City

Background: Youth PIK is a place for reproductive health services for adolescents developed by the government in the GenRe program, which is managed by and for adolescents. This PIK youth service provides benefits by providing information and counseling services on maturing marriage age, eight family functions, TRIAD KRR (sexuality, HIV and AIDS, and NAFZA), life skills (life skills), gender and advocacy skills, and IEC. Utilization of the Adolescent Counseling Information Center is greatly influenced by the level of knowledge, reflection of adolescent attitudes, motivation from the surrounding environment, peer support, and teacher support so that the incidence of premarital sex behavior, which is bad for adolescents, can be reduced.Objective: to identify the relationship between the utilization of information and youth health centers (PIK-R) towards adolescents in terms of knowledge level, attitudes, and premarital sexual behavior. This research is also expected to bring benefits to PIK-KRR organizational managers in the campus environment by directing activities that can become part of PIK-KRR activities to improve their functions.Methods: This research is a descriptive correlation study using a cross-sectional research design and a quantitative approach with a sample of 175 respondents. The data analysis used was the Chi-Square statistical test and the Spearman test to see the strength of the relationship.Results: In the Chi-Square analysis, the results show that there is a relationship between the PIK-R utilization variables and the level of knowledge (ρ- value 0.031 < 0.05) with the category of weak relationship strength (correlation coefficient = 0.163 in the range between 0.10-0, 29) and the relationship is unidirectional. The results of the analysis of the relationship between the utilization of PIK-R variables and attitude show that there is a relationship (ρ -value 0.034 < 0.05) with the category of strength of the weak relationship (correlation coefficient = 0.160 is in the range 0.10-0.29) and the relationship is unidirectional. The results of the analysis of PIK-R utilization and premarital sex behavior showed that there was a relationship (ρ -value 0.025 < 0.05), but the relationship was not in the same direction because the correlation was negative (-0.169).Conclusion: There is a relationship between the variable utilization of information centers and youth counseling (PIK-R) and the variables of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of premarital sex in adolescents.

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE HEALTH SEEKING AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF ADOLESCENCE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AMONG SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN RURAL COMMUNITY

Introduction: Reproductive health may be a vital area of concern in adolescent health. However traditional Indian society regards talks on such topics as taboos and discourages open discussions on reproductive health. Objective: This study assess the health seeking awareness and utilization of reproductive health services and determines the association between health seeking awareness and utilization of adolescence reproductive health service with selected demographic variables. Method: The descriptive study with non-experimental research design was used the analysis and interpretation was done using SPSS version 18 and excel 2010. Result: More than half (54.65%) adolescence boys and girls knew correctly about male and female reproductive system and more than half (46.94%) adolescence knew incorrectly about STD, contraception, pregnancy and abortion. However only (5%) of adolescence had ever used reproductive health services and majority of 74.2% adolescence had never used these services. Reproductive health knowledge was significantly associated with fathers qualification, fathers occupation and source of information. Reproductive health services utilization was significantly associated with age, class, source of information. Conclusion: This study clearly depicted that more than half adolescents were not utilizing the services. Lack of adolescent reproductive friendly clinics, fear/embarrassment and concealed service were reasons for not utilizing the service.Fear of social value and being embarrassed, misconception of adolescents about pregnancy, unsafe sex, shortage of supply, harmful traditional practices and lack of school based adolescent reproductive health services.

Quality Health Services for Adolescents: Assessing Awareness and Use of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Services in Keta, Ghana

ABSTRACT Introduction Although adolescents have access to sexual and reproductive health services, they encounter a variety of obstacles, including limited access to safe abortion and contraceptives, early pregnancy and parenthood, and a high occurrence of sexually transmitted infections. This research assessed the awareness and use of adolescent sexual reproductive health services in the Keta Sub-district of Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study using a quantitative method of analysis and the administration of a structured questionnaire to 350 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 in the Keta Sub-district was conducted. Results Of the 10 services covering adolescent sexual and reproductive health, 75% of participants were aware only of comprehensive sex education. Only 27% were aware of sexually transmitted infection prevention and care services. Awareness was 13% or lower for the remaining eight services. Only 24% had used an adolescent sexual reproductive health service. Conclusion Awareness of adolescent sexual reproductive health services and their use is low in the Keta Sub-district. To improve access to sexual and reproductive health information, sub-district health services should create school-based satellite clinics for adolescents. Adolescents’ ambassadors should be created to educate peers on adolescent issues, especially sexual and reproductive health.

Female adolescent sexual reproductive health service utilization concerns: A qualitative enquiry in the Tema metropolis of Ghana.

Evidence globally indicates that female adolescents face numerous sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks. Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among adolescents is of global health importance and plays a crucial role in adolescent sexual reproductive health outcomes and their quality of life. The current study explored sexual reproductive health service utilization concerns among female adolescents in the Tema Metropolis in Southern Ghana using the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of Health Service Utilization as a guiding framework. The study utilized a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit female adolescents. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. In all, 12 interviews were conducted. Each interview lasted between 45 and 60 minutes. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Thematic analysis was guided by the constructs of the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of health service utilization. Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents is low in the Tema metropolis. Factors such as unprotected non-consensual sexual activity or an unwanted pregnancy sometimes triggered the use of these services. Barriers to utilization identified include lack of awareness on sexual reproductive health services, unreliable sources of SRH information, underestimation of the severity of sexual reproductive health problems faced, unmet expectations and poor experiences with service providers. The current study identified poor utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents within the Tema metropolis of Ghana. There is the need to increase the number of adolescent health corners, increase awareness about SRH services among adolescents, improve parent-child SRH communication and provide adequate training for healthcare providers to improve provider attitude towards adolescent SRH service delivery in order to increase utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents in the Metropolis.

Challenges and opportunities for improving access to adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health services and information in the coastal counties of Kenya: a qualitative study

BackgroundGlobally, adolescents and youth experience high unmet need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. In Kenya, evidence shows that more than half of teenage pregnancies are unintended and that half of all new HIV infections occur in people ages 15-24-year-olds, with the majority of those being female. The coastal counties in Kenya record a relatively high adolescent pregnancy rate and higher rates of unmet need for contraception for all women of reproductive age compared to the national average. This study focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the existing challenges to and opportunities for accessing SRH information and services among adolescents and youth (AY) at the Kenyan coast.MethodsUsing qualitative methods, this study conducted thirty-six focus group discussions with adolescents, youth, and community health volunteers across all the six coastal counties in Kenya. The sample included adolescents aged 10–14 years in school (male and female), adolescents aged 15–19 years not in education (male and female), youths aged 20–24 years (mix of both male and female), and community health volunteers who were conveniently sampled. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data and report the study results.ResultsThe barriers to accessing AYSRH identified in the study are individual factors (feelings of shame, lack of information, and fear of being judged) parental factors, healthcare worker and health institution factors, teacher/educators factors, and broader contextual factors such as culture, religion, poverty, and illiteracy. Factors that facilitate access to AYSRH information and services included, supportive parenting and culture, AYSRH sessions in schools, peer support, supportive health institutions, gender inclusivity, and digital technology.ConclusionsAYSRH information and services at the Kenyan coast is strongly influenced by a range of individual, social, cultural, and economic factors. Improving access to AYSHR necessitates meaningful AY engagement, provision of youth-friendly services, use of digital technology as alternative pathways for sharing SRH information, strengthening parent-AY relationships, embracing peer-to-peer support, and the adoption of gender-inclusive approaches in AYSRH programming.

Assessment of Structural and Process Factors in Delivering Quality Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Ghana.

Sexual and reproductive health services are often underserved to adolescents in many societies. For many of these sexually active adolescents, reproductive health services such as the provision of contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, either are not available or are provided in a way that makes adolescents feel unwelcome and embarrassed. This study assessed the structural and process factors available in delivering quality adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services in health facilities across three regions in Ghana. A facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the structural and process factors available for delivering quality adolescent sexual reproductive health services in 158 selected health facilities across three regions (Oti, Eastern, and Volta) of Ghana. A simple random sampling by balloting was used to select the health facilities and a total of 158 adolescents who used ASRH services in the selected facilities were sampled for an existing interview. The Donabedian model of quality assessment was adopted and modified into an assessment tool and a questionnaire to assess the selected health facilities and respondents. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used to analyze the data collected and the findings presented in the tables. The study found some structural and process barriers that affected the delivery of quality ASRH services in Ghana. A proportion of 85 (53.50%) of the facilities assessed did not have separate spaces for delivering services for adolescents. All 158 health facilities had the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) covering contraceptive/family planning services for adolescents. Most (128, 81.01%) facilities had available educational materials on ASRH but were not made available for take home by adolescents. The findings indicated that most respondents did not require parental, spouse, or guardian consent before using ASRH services. The average waiting time for adolescents to be attended to by service providers was ≤30 minutes. The study found some structural and process barriers that affected the delivery of quality ASRH services in Ghana. ASRH services, particularly contraceptive/family planning services, were well integrated into NHIS to improve access and utilization by adolescents.

Expectations and experiences of urban and rural in-school adolescents of Adolescent Reproductive Health Services in Oyo state

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Reproductive health information and services are fundamental to health, well-being and opportunities for women and young people, yet throughout the world, women and youths do not have access to quality reproductive health care thereby exposing them to unplanned pregnancy, teen birth, induced abortion as well as increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV inclusive. This study is meant to explore the expectation of adolescents of an adolescent reproductive health services as well as to assess the experiences of those who had visited an ARHS at the centers.Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional prospective study, analytic in design using a multistage sampling technique where 452 secondary school pupils in both rural and urban communities were interviewed using a pretested validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Chi square was used to test for association between both rural and urban adolescents in issues relating to their expectation and experiences, with p value of <0.05.Results: More of the respondents in the urban communities (73,32.4%) have the expectation that Adolescent Reproductive Health Services (ARHS) should be provided in an existing health service with special attention to adolescents while a larger percentage of those who preferred a special adolescent health institution were from the rural communities (122, 54.2%) which was statistically significant with a p value of 0.001. More of respondents from the rural communities also expect that contraception services should be provided in an ARHS center while life skill services are expected by more of the respondents from the urban communities (122, 55.6%). More of the rural community respondents (57,25.3%) expect that fee at the ARHS centers should be provided at a subsidized rate while more of the urban dwellers have the expectation that services provided should be free of charge. For respondents who had been to an ARHS center, more of the urban respondents were attended to by a Medical doctor and a large percentage (34, 94.4%) of those who had visited ARHS center before professed to be satisfied with the services rendered there.Conclusion: Expectations from adolescents from ARHS are very high. However, most of them prefer a free of charge service as well as a service area nearer to residential area. Confidentiality and having a young health professional at the service centers cannot be overemphasized in the provision of quality ARHS.Keywords: expectation, experiences, rural, urban, adolescents, reproductive health

Adolescents Knowledge and Attitude towards Sexual and Reproductive Health in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

With a staggering adolescent population of 253 million, India stands as the world's epicenter of youth. Adolescence, a distinctive phase marked by active physical and psychological growth, often initiates the exploration of romantic and sexual realms. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to various reproductive and sexual health vulnerabilities such as unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive tract infections, and the heightened risk of maternal and infant mortality. This susceptibility is accentuated in regions where healthcare services are constrained and knowledge regarding health matters is limited. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in the year 2022, with due ethical considerations, among students in the 9th to 12th grades (n=322) in Bhopal District, Madhya Pradesh, a region where utilisation of Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) services remains notably modest. The objectives were to assess the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents regarding SRH and to find the relationship between the knowledge and attitude. Data was collected in schools from adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, using researcher-developed structured questionnaires. The findings revealed that the majority (50.9%) of participants had poor knowledge, 34.5 percent showed moderate knowledge and 14.6 percent exhibited good knowledge. About 60 percent of the participants expressed a favorable attitude towards sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The relationship between knowledge and attitude was positive but weak. These outcomes collectively underscore the need for improving adolescents' SRH knowledge and attitudes in the region. Focusing efforts towards comprehensive SRH education and promoting well-informed attitudes may help reduce the adolescents’ susceptibility to SRH vulnerabilities.

Exploring the perceptions of health service providers and adolescents on the utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Tikur, 2023: A qualitative study.

Globally, twenty-three million adolescents aged 15-19 years have an unmet need for sexual and reproductive health services and are at risk of unintended pregnancy. In Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, it might be difficult for adolescents to get access to sexual and reproductive health services that are acceptable to use. Privacy, a fear of sharing health concerns, a sociocultural environment, the unfriendliness of current services, and traditional taboos are some of the key reasons. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of service providers and adolescents on the use of sexual and reproductive health services. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted from January to February 2023 in the Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital. Purposive sampling was applied to select the study participants. A total of 17 in-depth interviews (with 7 adolescents and 10 health providers) were held. Instead of relying on the number of participants, data saturation was used. Thematic analysis was employed in analyzing the data. The findings indicate that obstacles to the use of sexual and reproductive health services include challenges related to the availability of resources and accessibility; resistance from religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, and customs; quality and institutional-related challenges; and stigma and discrimination in sexual and reproductive health services, which pose the biggest barrier to health professionals providing standardized sexual and reproductive health services. A multi-pronged approach should be created to overcome these challenges, including community outreach for sexual and reproductive health and increasing awareness of the importance of early access to sexual and reproductive health through appropriate community forums. Existing sexual and reproductive health services are not promoted to adolescents and youth, and a lack of and difficulty getting resources for sexual and reproductive health services should be resolved.

Adölesan Annelerin Sosyo-Demografik, Gebelik ve Doğum Özellikleri

Introduction: Adolescence is considered the transition period from childhood to adulthood. Pregnancy at an early age is encountered for various reasons, along with the sexuality that begins in this period. Having a child at an early age carries a high risk for both mother and baby.
 Objective: This study was conducted to determine adolescent mothers' socio-demographic, pregnancy, and birth characteristics in Bartın province.
 Method: The study was conducted as cross-sectional and descriptive. 89 adolescent women who gave birth between August and December 2008 in Bartın province constituted the population. Data were collected through a survey created by the researchers in line with the literature. SPSS 15.0 package program was used to evaluate the data. Mean and percentage were used in statistical evaluation. 
 Results: It was determined that 83% of the adolescent mothers, whose average age was 18, 3 ±0.73 years, were older adolescents, 15% had primary school education or lower, 98% were housewives and worked unpaid in family businesses, and 14% did not have any social security. While 54% of the mothers live in the nuclear family before marriage, 78% live in the extended family after marriage. It was observed that 52% of the adolescent mothers got married by escaping, and 87% had adolescent marriages. It was determined that most adolescent mothers did not receive any information about family planning methods before marriage and did not use pre-pregnancy family planning methods. It was observed that 65% of the adolescent mothers had health problems during their pregnancies, 21% of the babies born had health problems postpartum, 16% of the babies were prematüre, and 8.9% had low birth weight.
 Conclusion: Adolescent mothers should receive family planning information and counseling to prevent adolescent pregnancies, an essential maternal and child health risk group. In primary care studies, it is thought that the risks to maternal and infant health will be reduced by planning appropriate reproductive health services for adolescents.

Expectations and experiences of urban and rural in-school adolescents of adolescent reproductive health services in oyo state, Nigeria.

Reproductive health information and services are fundamental to health, well-being and opportunities for women and young people, yet throughout the world, women and youths do not have access to quality reproductive health care thereby exposing them to unplanned pregnancy, teen birth, induced abortion as well as increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV inclusive. This study is meant to explore the expectation of adolescents of an adolescent reproductive health services as well as to assess the experiences of those who had visited an ARHS at the centers. It was a descriptive cross-sectional prospective study, analytic in design using a multistage sampling technique where 452 secondary school pupils in both rural and urban communities were interviewed using a pretested validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Chi square was used to test for association between both rural and urban adolescents in issues relating to their expectation and experiences, with P-value of #x003C;0.05. More of the respondents in the urban communities (73,32.4%) have the expectation that Adolescent Reproductive Health Services (ARHS) should be provided in an existing health service with special attention to adolescents while a larger percentage of those who preferred a special adolescent health institution were from the rural communities (122, 54.2%) which was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.001. More of respondents from the rural communities also expect that contraception services should be provided in an ARHS center while life skill services are expected by more of the respondents from the urban communities (122, 55.6%). More of the rural community respondents (57,25.3%) expect that fee at the ARHS centers should be provided at a subsidized rate while more of the urban dwellers have the expectation that services provided should be free of charge. For respondents who had been to an ARHS center, more of the urban respondents were attended to by a Medical doctor and a large percentage (34, 94.4%) of those who had visited ARHS center before professed to be satisfied with the services rendered there. Expectations from adolescents from ARHS are very high. However, most of them prefer a free of charge service as well as a service area nearer to residential area. Confidentiality and having a young health professional at the service centers cannot be overemphasized in the provision of quality ARHS.

Expectations and experiences of urban and rural in-school adolescents of adolescent reproductive health services in Oyo State.

Reproductive health information and services are fundamental to health, well-being and opportunities for women and young people, yet throughout the world, women and youths do not have access to quality reproductive health care thereby exposing them to unplanned pregnancy, teen birth, induced abortion as well as increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV inclusive. This study is meant to explore the expectation of adolescents of an adolescent reproductive health services as well as to assess the experiences of those who had visited an ARHS at the centers. It was a descriptive cross-sectional prospective study, analytic in design using a multistage sampling technique where 452 secondary school pupils in both rural and urban communities were interviewed using a pretested validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Chi square was used to test for association between both rural and urban adolescents in issues relating to their expectation and experiences, with P-value of <0.05. More of the respondents in the urban communities (73,32.4%) have the expectation that Adolescent Reproductive Health Services (ARHS) should be provided in an existing health service with special attention to adolescents while a larger percentage of those who preferred a special adolescent health institution were from the rural communities (122, 54.2%) which was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.001. More of respondents from the rural communities also expect that contraception services should be provided in an ARHS center while life skill services are expected by more of the respondents from the urban communities (122, 55.6%). More of the rural community respondents (57,25.3%) expect that fee at the ARHS centers should be provided at a subsidized rate while more of the urban dwellers have the expectation that services provided should be free of charge. For respondents who had been to an ARHS center, more of the urban respondents were attended to by a Medical doctor and a large percentage (34, 94.4%) of those who had visited ARHS center before professed to be satisfied with the services rendered there. Expectations from adolescents from ARHS are very high. However, most of them prefer a free of charge service as well as a service area nearer to residential area. Confidentiality and having a young health professional at the service centers cannot be overemphasized in the provision of quality ARHS.

Interprofessional education for reproductive health service: a review

Safe and quality health services are to avoid interruption of communication between health professionals. Reproductive health services for adolescents can be improved by providing comprehensive reproductive health services. One of the efforts to realize effective collaboration between professions is by training students to use the interprofessional education learning method. This review aims to comprehensively discuss student inter-professionalism to combine various attributes, including self-confidence, flexibility in managing conflict, and commitment to promoting adolescent reproductive health. Study Review and data collection were conducted between 2010 and 2019. Health Promotion Model (HPM) can improve health promotion behavior, identify the quality of life, and predict changes in factors influencing health promotion behavior. Quality adolescent reproductive health services by improving communication skills, teamwork, care, ethics, and responsibility in interprofessional education. Interprofessional education can be effective if students have self-awareness and a good level of self-confidence. The students with health majors have opportunities to train in the application of interprofessional education in the health education curriculum, which can improve communication skills and work in teams. To gain competency of mutual respect, keep the ethic, communicate effectively, work in teams, care, and be responsible, one must be given training about Interprofessional Education with additional self-awareness owned by students in implementing adolescent reproductive health services. Understanding the factor of the Health Promotion Model (HPM) can positively contribute to increasing student self-confidence as a Reproductive Health Peer Educator.

Impact of a capacity-building intervention on views and perceptions of healthcare providers towards the provision of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in southeast Nigeria: a cross-sectional qualitative study

ObjectivesNegative views of healthcare providers towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services deter adolescents from seeking vital SRH services. This paper assessed the impact of an intervention on the...

Understanding how social norms influence access to and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Northern Nigeria.

This study explored the influence of social norms on the access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by adolescents. Apart from individual and environmental barriers, social norms influence contraceptive decisions and ultimately sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Social norms that shape group behavior describe acceptable standards of behavior and evoke sanctions when such behavior standards are not adhered to. Sexually active adolescents in Nigeria have a relatively low level of modern contraceptive use being influenced by social norms. Scaling up adolescent reproductive health interventions that integrate normative change for a wider impact of programs remains challenging. Using data from 18 communities, 188 married and unmarried adolescents (F52% and M48%) and 69 (F37%; M63%) reference group participants were purposively sampled and participated in a social norms exploration intervention study conducted through focus group discussion and in-depth interviews between October and November 2019. The Advancing Learning and Innovation on Gender Norms (ALIGN) Social Norms Exploration Tool (SNET) was adapted for the data collection into discussion guides and vignettes. Pilot testing of the tools informed review and validation prior to actual data collection. Low contraceptive uptake by adolescents was characterized by early and forced marriage in childhood; a prominent practice enshrined in social norms around girl-childchastity, family honor, and disapproval of pre-marital sex and pregnancy out of wedlock. The understanding of harmful social norms, normative change actors, and potential norm-shifting factors for contraceptive decisions by adolescents is essential for effective adolescent sexual and reproductive health interventions for wider impact and adaptive programming in behavior change interventions for improving the access to and utilization of modern contraceptives by adolescents for improved sexual health outcomes, the attainment of the Family Planning (FP) 2030 commitment and universal health coverage policy.

The effectiveness of combined approaches towards improving utilisation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya: a quasi-experimental evaluation

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services are key to improving the health of adolescents. This study aimed to establish the effectiveness of an intervention that combined activities in health facilities and communities in Kenya to increase utilisation of ASRH services. A quasi-experimental evaluation design was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Using a stratified cluster sampling approach, two cross-sectional household surveys targeting girls aged 15–19 were conducted at baseline (September 2019) and endline (December 2020) in intervention and comparison. We combined the difference-in-difference approach to analyse the net change in outcomes between intervention and comparison arms of the study at baseline and endline and coarsened exact matching for variables that were significantly different to address the imbalance. There were a total of 1011 participants in the intervention arm and 880 in the comparison arm. Descriptive results showed a net increase of 12.7% in intervention sites in the knowledge of misconceptions about sex, pregnancy, and contraception, compared to 10.4% in the control site. In the multivariate regression analysis, two outcomes remained significant: decreases in adolescents’ discomfort when seeking ASRH services because of either fear of parents (aPR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.42–0.79, P = 0.001) or a lack of support from their partner (aPR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.08–0.82, P = 0.023). The intervention combining a facility and community approach was not effective in increasing the use of ASRH information and services. Possible reasons for this are explored.