Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Use, Perceptions, and Barriers among Young People in Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Utilizations of sexual and reproductive health(SRH) services among young people is vital in reducing sexual andreproductive health problems. This study investigated youngpeople’s perceptions and barriers towards the use of sexual andreproductive health services in Southwest Ethiopia.METHODS: A cross sectional study was employed to collect datafrom 1,262 in-school youths. Simple random sampling techniquewas used to select schools and study participants. Fifteen focusgroup discussions and 22 key informant interviews were conducted.Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted . P value ≤0.05 was set to determine statistical significance. Data wereanalyzed using SPSS v16. Qualitative data were triangulated withquantitative findings and also presented in themes.RESULTS: Four hundred sixty (36.5%) of the respondents hadutilized sexual and reproductive health services. Advice on sexualand reproductive health was the major (67.2%) service soughtfollowed by seeking-treatments (23.3%). Health centers were themajor (65.0%) source of SRH services. Being married, beingsexually active, father-child communication, religion and place ofresidence were significantly associated with use of sexual andreproductive health services (p<0.05). Lack of information aboutSRH, poor perceptions about SRH, feeling of shame, fear of beingseen by others, restrictive cultural norms, lack of privacy,confidentiality and unavailability of services were deterring use ofsexual and reproductive health services.CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of young people usedsexual and reproductive health services. Hence, in addition tobehavioral modification interventions, it is essential to considermulti-level and culturally sensitive interventions in a holisticapproach.