Assessment of Sexual and Reproductive Health Status and Related problems of young people with Disabilities in Selected Associations of people with disability, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Creators: name: Alemu, Tigist
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2008

description: Back ground:- Young people in Ethiopia face many sexual and reproductive health problems; UN resolutions underline the fact that adolescent sexual and reproductive health care needs are not being adequately met. This is in part because their needs are not clearly understood within the social and cultural context of their lives, but also because researchers, service providers, and policy makers often avoid the sensitive issue of adolescent sexuality or hold uncompromising attitudes toward adolescent sexual behavior. In particular young people with disability are among the most stigmatized, poorest, and least educated of all the world's citizens. To date, very little is known about the sexuality of disabled youth, in general the reproductive health need and related problems of this group, whether they have access to health services and information and, if so, to what extent. Therefore, for ensuring the health of Young people with Disability, the understanding of SRH and existing problems related to sexuality and reproduction on this group of population is important. Objective: - The aim of this study is to assess the sexual reproductive health status and associated problems of young people with disability at selected association of people with disability, Addis Ababa. Method:- A cross- sectional survey was conducted from Feb11-17, 2008 to assess disabled youth reproductive health status and related problems. The data were collected by trained data collectors using a structured questionnaire &amp; two complementary focus group discussions were also conducted guided by semistructured questions, a total of 384 young people with disability were selected using systematic sampling technique. Descriptive statistics was employed to examine the findings and appropriate statistical methods like chi-square, crude and adjusted odds ratio were also used. Result: -A total 174(45.3%) of respondents in the study ever had sexual intercourse; out of them 100(57.5%) and 74(42.5%) were male and female respectively. Seventy three (42.0%) of them started sex between the age of 15-19 years and only 9.2% were married. Only 45.4% of the sexually experienced respondents have used some kind of contraceptive during their first sexual encounter. Rate of unintended [8] pregnancy was 62.5% among young disabled females who had ever been pregnant and 50% of them had history of abortion, 87.5% of this abortion was induced type. In this study, 58.6% of the sexually active respondents had multiple life time sexual partners, 20.7% had a casual sex partner and 18.0% of sexually active males had a commercial sex partner in the past 12 months period prior to the survey. History of ever having STI was 25.3%. Only 55.5%, 33.1% and 51.8% of respondents had good knowledge on HIV transmission, STI Sign and symptom, HIV Prevention respectively and only 33.3% of respondents had utilized reproductive health services. Conclusion &amp; Recommendations: -From this study finding it can be said that YPWD are at risk for sexual and reproductive health associated problems. Many young people were engaged in sexual activity before marriage and do so at early age. Majority of the sexually experienced respondents' first sexual encounter was unplanned often without any protection against pregnancy, STIs or other potential reproductive health risks associated with unplanned sexual experiences. There fore, parents, family members and the entire community have to be sensitized about the need to provide a safe environment for YPWDs and organizing education session in the area where most YPWD benefit should be promoted and focused not only on knowledge but acquisition of essential skills (communication and negotiation skills) as well as equip YPWD with self-esteem thus improve their confidence for better RH outcomes.