Assessment of knowledge and utilization of youth friendly health service among adolescents (15-19) in Addis Ababa
Creators: name: Yohannes, Lelissie
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2016

description: Background: Several reproductive health challenges confront adolescents (10-19 years) globally and are more pervasive in developing countries where services and facilities are absent. An estimated 1.3 million adolescent girls and 780,000 adolescent boys are living with HIV worldwide, and 79 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents are in Sub-Saharan Africa. With 104 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, Ethiopia's high adolescent birth rate was likely associated with the low use of modern contraceptives. Regardless of the interventions put in place for adolescents as a response for reproductive health needs of adolescents in Ethiopia adolescent and youths are still facing reproductive health challenges; furthermore knowledge and utilization of the youth friendly reproductive health service in available places has not been assessed in an all inclusive manner. Objectives: To assess knowledge and utilization of youth friendly reproductive health service among adolescents in Addis Ababa. Method: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in a randomly selected 5 sub cities in Addis Ababa. Data was collected from 755 adolescents aged 15-19 through structured questioner. Data was coded cleaned and entered using EPI data 3.1 and transported to STATA 12.1 for analysis. Descriptive analysis of respondents was done. A bivariate analysis was done identify factors associated with utilization of youth friendly reproductive health service and reproductive health knowledge those with a P&lt;0.25 were moved to multivariate analysis to identify their significance with the dependent variables; those with P&lt; 0.05 were taken as independent factors affecting utilization of YFRHS. Result: – Three hundred ninety eight (52%) of the adolescents had knowledge about reproductive health. Age (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.28-3.73), sex (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.62, 3.97) and radio as a means of communication (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.44, 4.81) were associated with reproductive health knowledge. Three hundred twenty four(42.9%) of the adolescents had ever used reproductive health services including counseling, IEC/BCC material, family planning, sexually transmitted infections treatment, abortion and post abortion care. Reproductive health services utilization was significantly associated with age (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI:1.3,3.05) , source of information being HEW (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.69) and awareness IEC/BCC ii service(AOR=1.9 95%CI: 1.24,2.9). "Not needing the service", lack of information about the service, inconvenient working hour of the facility and embarrassment to ask for the service were the main reasons mentioned for not using youth friendly reproductive health service. Conclusion and recommendation: Both reproductive health knowledge and services utilization is low amongst adolescents in Addis Ababa .Factors like age, sex, having access to radio were factors that determined reproductive health knowledge of adolescents while age, source of information about YFRHS being health extension worker and awareness of services like IEC/BCC and post abortion care as components were factors that determined utilization. A platform where adolescents could get quality information, concerning reproductive health should be created; in addition urban health extension program that is integrated in schools should be strengthened.