Epidemiology: Open Access

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Young Females Perception of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Factor Affecting Utilization of Services in High Schools of Ambo town Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Zenebu Begna Bayissa

Background: Encouraging sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people still leftovers as public health challenge. Young people are facing different sexual and reproductive health problems including unwanted pregnancy, which leads them to unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted disease including HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to look at perceptions of young females and assess factors associate with utilization of SRH services in Ambo town.

Method: Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection was applied. The qualitative method was used to explore the perception about the sexual and reproductive health service utilization. Sample size was determined by using single population proportion formula for quantitative method and purposive sampling for qualitative. Multivariable logistic regression model was done using SPSS version 21.0. Thematic analysis was done for qualitative. P-value of less than 0.05 was the cut off point for statistical significances at 95% CI.

Result: Only 26.63% of study participants had utilized sexual and reproductive health services in the last twelve months. The three main reasons of not utilizing the service mentioned by participants were 209 (77.41%) fear of parents, 184 (68.15%) feeling ashamed when they get any person they know and 167 (61.85%) lack of confidentiality on health providers. This was supported by qualitative findings. In final model of logistic regression variables which had shown significant association with utilization of SRH service were age of young female, discussion with family, exposure to sexual intercourse and having reproductive health problems.

Conclusion: According to this study young females are facing different challenges to use SRH services. Intense commitment of government and stakeholder involvement in sexual and reproductive health education is required to meet the uptake of sexual and reproductive health services and to increase the utilization of service and awareness of young females.