KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN THE SAGNARIGU MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

The achievement of global development objectives like education, poverty reduction, and gender equality depends on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Since teenagers constitute around 25% of the world's population, concentrating on them is both necessary and unavoidable. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health is responsible for a sizable share of the global burden of sexual ill health. In order to ensure that teenagers live healthy lifestyles; it has become essential that they have easy access to information regarding SRH. During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, adolescents in both developed and underdeveloped countries encounter comparable SRH issues. This study aims to investigate the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents in Senior High Schools within Sagnarigu municipality. The study was cross sectional that employed mixed methods. The data was collected in all the 6 senior high schools in municipality. A Stratified Random sample of 380 adolescents completed the questionnaire, two focus group discussions among adolescents and 12 interviews of teachers were conducted. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 whilst data from the focus group discussions and interviews were analyzed manually. Among these adolescents, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were females. Fifty three percent of respondents were unaware that a female can become pregnant after unprotected sex with a boy if the boy withdraws before ejaculation. More than half of the adolescents felt scared when experiencing their first menses. Forty nine percent of the respondents ever had sex. Qualitative data showed that the use of contemporary contraceptives and sexual and reproductive knowledge in general was hindered by religious and cultural beliefs and also concerns about their harmful side effects. Respondents have indicated unhappiness with the existing sexuality education they get in school. Also, it was discovered that schools lacked the instructional and learning tools required to offer sex education. There are well-organized policies that must be put into practice that exist on paper. To get their support for such a program, parents must be trained or educated on how to mentor or instruct their adolescents in sexual health education. To address problems related to sexual and reproductive health, senior high school campuses should establish clinics that are youth -friendly. Religious and traditional leaders ought to be enlisted and given the necessary training so they can contribute significantly to the spread of SRH knowledge