Negative reproductive health (RH) outcomes appear to be associated with inadequate
Creators: name: Akalu, Alemtshehay
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2016

description: Negative reproductive health (RH) outcomes appear to be associated with inadequate use of RH services and difference in the use of RH services among different demographic and socioeconomic groups. Women beggars are at increased risk of RH problems because of multiple factors. Moreover, little is known about reproductive health service utilization by those disadvantaged section of the society. Assessing the RH problems of those women and their RH service utilization is critical for timely intervention. Objective: To assess reproductive health service utilization and associated factors among women beggars in the reproductive age group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional based study was conducted from September 2015 to May 2016 in Addis Ababa. The study was conducted on 351 women beggars of reproductive age group using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Data were entered in to Epi-Info (version 7) then, exported to SPSS (version 20) for cleaning and analysis. Bivariate analysis was used to identify independent variables that are associated with the outcome variable (RH service utilization). Those significant variables in the bivariate analysis were taken to multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the independent effect of each variable on the outcome variable. Results: Among the study participants majority were 35 years or younger (80%), divorced/separated (40.5%) and illiterate (64%). About 72% and 29% of women beggars had the first sexual encounter and the first pregnancy, respectively, at the period of adolescence. Women who reported ever use of modern contraceptives were 231(65.8%) and those who were using contraceptives at time of data collection were 130(37%). Forty one (11.7%) of women beggars had history of rape and (36.9%) women encountered unwanted pregnancy at least once in their life time. Two-third (66%) of women beggars reported utilization of reproductive health services. There were statistically significant association between reproductive health service utilization and marital status, having disability and information about reproductive health issues. The odds of reproductive health service utilization among women who were currently unmarried (never married/widowed) was 63% times lower than women who were married [AOR= 0.37(0.19- 0.72)]. The odds of reproductive health service utilization among women who had disability was about 60% lower than women who had no disability or chronic illness [(AOR=0.39(0.21-0.74)].On the other hand reproductive health service utilization by women beggars who had no information about reproductive health services was 76% times lower than those beggar women who had information [AOR=0.24(0.13-0.44)]. Conclusions and Recommendation: Early first sexual encounter, early marriage, unintended pregnancy and STI including HIV/ADIS were identified as major reproductive health problems of women beggars. Two-third of women beggars had health service utilization for any reproductive health services. Being disabled and lack of reproductive health service information are strong predictors of non-use of reproductive health services among women beggars. Increasing/strengthening information provision about reproductive health among women beggars, addressing disability related problems and further researches are recommended. Key words: RH problems, RH service utilization, women beggars