The Use of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge and Services among Adolescents Students in Secondary Schools and Teacher Training College in Mtwara, Tanzania

Abstract

The proportion of sexually active adolescents, including secondary school students, has increased worldwide. This group constitutes the majority of youths who are sexually active, which puts them at high risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The continuum of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and family planning (FP) knowledge acquisition is built throughout adolescence. It begins with the need for basic knowledge of the reproductive system,sexual and social relationships in the early teen years and advances to the mastery of sexual behavior and the potential risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in later adolescence. This study is part of an awareness creation programme, initiated by a Clinical Officers’ Training College (COTC), to find out the knowledge that adolescents in secondary schools in Mtwara, Tanzania, have of SRH. A total of 1566 adolescent students, who were randomly selected, participated in the study. Pre- and post-structured questionnaires were used to collect information about the respondents’ knowledge of SRH . Descriptive analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to put the respondents into various SRH and FP knowledge themes. The findings of this study revealed that the adolescent students are generally aware of SRH services, including certain types of FP. Despite having this awareness, factors, such as lack of resources and user-friendly health centers, cultural and religious beliefs, and lack of right sources of information, hinder some of them from accessing SRH services. The findings of this study are useful to the efforts of the government, stakeholders, and other decision-makers seeking to create awareness of SRH and FP among adolescent students.