1. Home
  2. Vol 27, No 5s (2023)
  3. Uka

Sexual and reproductive health services awareness and utilisation among young people in a semi-Urban community in Cross River State, Nigeria

Victoria K. Uka(1), Esienumoh E. Ekpoanwan(2), Alberta D. Nsemo(3), Josephine B. Etowa(4),


(1) Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State,
(2) Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
(3) Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
(4) Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Corresponding Author

Abstract


Young people’s unawareness and poor utilisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services is one of the contributing variables that increase the susceptibility of youths to many challenges in SRHR. This study sought to assess young people’s level of awareness and utilisation of available sexual and reproductive health and rights services in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The available SRHR services in the study area were identified. A communitybased cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted for the study, whereby a sample of 325 youths aged 15-24 years were recruited from households within the 6 selected out of 12 political wards of Calabar Local Government Area, using a multistage sampling technique. A validated self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection which were analysed using SPSS version 22.0. Findings revealed low awareness (94.8%) of young people to available SRHR services, and the proportion of SRHR services utilisation by youths was also low (21.5%). There was a statistically significant influence of SRHR services awareness on youth’s utilisation (P<0.05). Also, in the logistic regression, the P-value for all the variables showed that there is no significant influence of the predictor variables (age, religion, marital status, educational qualification, means of livelihood, mother’s, and father’s educational background) on the outcome variable (awareness and utilization). Limited awareness on SRHR services was a rationale for low utilisation of such services among young people. The study recommended training of health care providers on SRHR services with periodic monitoring to ensure that providers are maintaining standards of care. More community enlightenment through government-community partnership is required to strengthen the concept of SRHR, increase awareness for service utilisation and sustainable development. (Afr J Reprod Health 2023; 27 [5s]: 58-70)

References


Dawson K. The importance of sexual and reproductive

health. 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2016, from

http://westernhealth.nl.ca/uploads/Your%20Health

%20Matters/Feb-your-health-matters-Sexual-andReproductive-Health.pdf

Sampson M.Youth reproductive and sexual health in

Nigeria. Advocates for youth. 2008. Retrieved June

, 2016, from

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/pub

lications-a-z/1450-youth-reproductive-and-sexualhealth-in-nigeria

The International Women’s Health Coalition. Providing

adolescent sexual and reproductive health services:

what we know. 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2016, from

https://iwhc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/03/adoles

cent-sexual-health-services.pdf

World Health Organization. State of inequality:

reproductive maternal newborn and child health:

interactive visualization of health data. World

Health Organization; 2015 May 26.

Ihejiamaizu C, Ajake U and Meremikwu A. Effectiveness

of reproductive health education on undergraduate

students’ attitude towards family planning in SouthSouth Nigeria. J Educ Pract. 2012;3(16):74-9.

Nsemo AD and Akpaninyang VI. Social and health

implications of teenage pregnancy in Calabar south

Local Government Area of Cross River state, Nigeria. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary

Studies. 2011; 3 (1), 109-121.

Thin Zaw PP, Liabsuetrakul T, Htay TT and McNeil E.

Equity of access to reproductive health services

among youths in resource-limited suburban

communities of Mandalay City, Myanmar. BMC

health services research. 2012;12:1-2.

International Planned Parenthood Federation. (2013).

Youth-friendly services. Retrieved July 25, 2016,

from http://www.ippf.org/our-work/what-wedo/adolescents/services

Atuyambe LM, Kibira SP, Bukenya J, Muhumuza C, Apolot

RR and Mulogo E. Understanding sexual and

reproductive health needs of adolescents: evidence

from a formative evaluation in Wakiso district,

Uganda. Reproductive health. 2015;12(1):1-0.

Brhane T, Assefav B and Birhan N. Reproductive health

behaviour of street youth and associated factors in

Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. International

Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Research.

;3(1):28-37.

Ayehu A, Kassaw T and Hailu G. Level of young people

sexual and reproductive health service utilization

and its associated factors among young people in

Awabel District, Northwest Ethiopia. Plos one.

;11(3):e0151613.

Cherie N, Tura G and Aderajew NT. Reproductive health

needs and service utilization among youths in West

Badewacho Woreda, Hadiya Zone, South Ethiopia.

Journal of public health and epidemiology.

;7(4):145-53.

Tegegn A and Gelaw Y. Adolescent reproductive health

services in jimma city: accessibility and utilization.

Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences. 2009;19(2).

Advocates for Youth.Youth and the state of culture (2008).

Retrieved July 30, 2016, from:

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/

public cations-a-z/453-youth-and-the-state-ofculture

Cross River State Government of Nigeria State Primary

Health Care Development Agency.Statistics of staff

strength and health facilities in Cross River

State.2017-2020 multi-year budget framework.

; Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

National Population Commission. Distribution of

population by single years of age and sex. National

Population Census, 2006 priority table IV. 2010;

Calabar, Cross River State: Nigeria

Okonta PI. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in

the Niger Delta region of Nigeria-Issues and

challenges. African journal of reproductive health.

;11(1):113-24.

Omobuwa O, Asekun-Olarinmoye EO and Olajide FO.

Knowledge and perception of reproductive health

services among in-school adolescents in Ile-Ife,

Osun State, Nigeria. Journal of Medicine and

Medical Sciences. 2012;3(7):481-8.

United States Agency for International Development.

(2012). Youth in Development.

USAID Policy Youth.Retrieved July 25, 2016, from

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files

/documents/1870/Youth_in_Development_Policy.p

df

Roudsari RL, Javadnoori M, Hasanpour M, Hazavehei SM

and Taghipour A. Socio-cultural challenges to

sexual health education for female adolescents in

Iran. Iranian journal of reproductive medicine. 2013

Feb;11(2):101.

De Belmonte LR, Gutierrez EZ, Magnani R and Lipovsek

V. Barriers to adolescents’ use of reproductive

health services in three Bolivian cities. Washington:

Focus on Young Adults/Pathfinder International.

University of Chicago Medical Centre. (2011). Youth

awareness of a

minor’s right to access reproductive health services

independently. Retrieved August 13,

, fromhttp://familyplanning.uchicago.edu/polic

y/publicationsresources/Teen%20Knowledge%

of%20Minor %20Consent%20Laws.pdf

Bam K, Haseen F, Bc RK, Newman MS, Chaudhary AH,

Thapa R and Bhuyia I. Perceived sexual and

reproductive health needs and service utilization

among higher secondary school students in urban

Nepal. American Journal of Public Health Research.

;3(2):36-45.

Abiodun O, Olu-Abiodun O, Ani F and Sotunsa O. Sexual

and reproductive health knowledge and service

utilization among in-school rural adolescents in

Nigeria. Journal of AIDS and Clinical Research.

;7(6).

Phongluxa K, Langeslag G, Jat TR, Kounnavong S, Khan

MA and Essink DR. Factors influencing sexual and

reproductive health among adolescents in Lao PDR.

Global Health Action. 2020;13(sup2):1791426.

Nmadu AG, Mohamed S and Usman NO. Barriers to

adolescents’ access and utilisation of reproductive

health services in a community in north-western

Nigeria: A qualitative exploratory study in primary

care. African Journal of Primary Health Care and

Family Medicine. 2020;12(1):1-8.

Alisha G, Krishna S, Sunita D, Sarmila D and Anugraha

C. Adolescent-Parent Communication on Sexual

and Reproductive Health and its Associated Factors

among Higher Secondary School Students of Tokha

Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal. Journal of Public

Health International. 2022; 6(2):1-15.

Ninsiima LR, Chiumia IK and Ndejjo R. Factors

influencing access to and utilisation of youthfriendly sexual and reproductive health services in

sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

Reproductive health. 2021;18(1):1-7


Full Text: PDF

Article Metrics

Abstract View : 796 times
PDF Download : 365 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.