BMC Public Health 2007, 7:354 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/354 resources that adolescents need include: access to educa- tion, information and services; resources that reside in a stable and supportive structure such as the family; resources contained within policy-making and decision- making processes, and many young people do not have access to these facilities. To improve young people's access to these resources, new strategies that are attractive to the youth are beginning to emerge, and they make use of the power, creativity and enthusiasm of adolescents. This is where information technology, such as the Internet, is expected to play a critical role as a source of information. A cursory scan of Owerri shows that, as probably in many other Nigerian cities, Internet surfing by both boys and girls for various purposes is a very common practice. It is not uncommon to spot school girls and boys in their uni- forms in the cybercafés even during school hours. Given the harsh social and economic conditions in Nigeria, many youth are out-of-school for either deviant reasons, inability of parents to maintain them, or they have con- cluded their secondary schooling but are yet to be engaged in any meaningful activities. There are initiatives that have recognised and are advocating for the use of the Internet as a reproductive health information source for youth in Nigeria. But empirical studies on how the youth in Owerri rely on online resources for reproductive health informa- tion have not been established, and this is the focus of this study. Many people are optimistic about the Internet as a source of information to young people. Some assert that a pri- mary role of the Internet is to deliver information and improve the health of populations, especially in develop- ing countries [5,6]. Moreover, several studies have shown that young people are more likely to go online than their older counterparts. Although concern is raised about the quality of online health information [7], the nature of this technology, including ease of access, anonymity and non- punitive attributes, make it an attractive information source to the youth, especially for sensitive health issues [8-10]. This observation can be accommodated by the Uses and Gratification Theory, which emphasises the sig- nificance of people's value for independence in the search and use of information and communication media. Uses and gratification theory: A theoretical background Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory due to Blumler & Katz (1974) [11] is fast becoming an influential tradition in media research because it focuses on why people use the media rather than on the content of the media. The theory assumes that the individual user of the media is in control, active, and goal-directed, as opposed to simply receiving media messages. The media user has the power to choose what is considered needful. U&G can be seen as part of a broader trend among media researchers, which is more concerned with what people themselves do with media, allowing for a variety of responses and interpreta- tions. The media user consciously or subconsciously takes the initiative to link gratification needs with his or her media choice and use, from among alternative media and other available sources based on the fact that such is able to decide on the information required, select such infor- mation and use it [11,12]. U & G views the media in terms of the gratification of social or psychological needs of the individual [11]. An empirical study in the U & G tradition typically involves audience members completing a ques- tionnaire about why they use the media. Literature review Reproductive health The UN Conference on Population and Development recently defined health as: ... a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its func- tions and processes. .... [It] implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so [13]. Sexuality refers to the social expression of one's social and biological being through mannerisms, mode of dressing, interaction patterns, and physical intercourse. Implicit in these definitions are the rights of persons to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable, and acceptable as well as the right to appropriate health-care services. Sexual expression is an essential component of healthy human development for individuals of all ages. In general, an adolescent's age, socio-economic status, fam- ily atmosphere, sexual orientation, religious commit- ment, and individual life experiences are all factors that can exert an influence on whether, when, and how she or he will be sexually active. Sexual expression can be either positive or negative depending on the context. Adolescence, reproductive health information and the Internet Adolescence is that period, between puberty and adult- hood. According to Caldwell, et al (1998) [14], adoles- cence is a "...postpubertal population younger than 20 years who have a distinct life style." They often want to discuss topics, such as physical fitness, stress, nutrition, STDs, HIV/AIDS, alcohol, good eating behaviors, and contraception with their councillors [15-17]. They also hesitate to request personal health information from their physicians [15]. Adolescents also struggle with lack of knowledge about reproductive health and healthy sexual relationships [18-20]. Adolescents in general are uncom- fortable discussing private health issues, such as sexuality Page 2 of 13 (page number not for citation purposes)