| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health is a global health concern,
many adolescent are vulnerable to sexual health challenges and the most vulnerable are
the adolescent mothers. The government of Uganda has put in place various efforts to
address this gap both in policy and planning however, indicators still reveal that Uganda
has a teen age pregnancy rate of 25%, an unmet contraceptive need among married
adolescents of 32%, a HIV prevalence rate of 3.7% among adolescents (UBOS and ICF,
2017, MoH Uganda, 2012).
Objective: The study aimed at establishing the determinants influencing utilization of
adolescent sexual and reproductive health services among adolescent mothers in
Adekokwok Sub County, Lira district.
Method: The study used an analytical cross sectional study design, employing purpose
sampling method to identify the study respondents. A total of 288 adolescent mothers
were reached using researcher administered semi-structured questionnaires and a
questionnaire guide was used to collect information from the key informants. Data were
entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Results: The proportion of adolescent mothers utilizing adolescent sexual and
reproductive health services was established at 87.5%. Marital status (p=0.001),
perceived skill of health worker to provide care (p=0.036), Health worker being friendly
and providing a listening ear to the adolescents (0.030), culture prohibiting use of ASRH
services (p=0.025), affordability of associated costs of acquiring adolescent sexual and
reproductive health services (p=0.003) were found to be statistically significant to
utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by adolescent mothers in
Adekokwok Sub county, Lira district.
Conclusion and recommendation: The study findings indicated utilization of
adolescent sexual and reproductive health services was at 87.5% and determinants of
utilization by adolescent mothers included; marital status. Perceived skills of health
workers, cultural influence, and affordability of associated cost.
In order for utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by adolescent mothers
to be improved and sustained, it is recommended that Awareness raising must be made
on available services at the health facilities, capacity of health workers should be built to
offer adolescent friendly services, design mechanisms within the health facilities to create
adolescent friendly spaces and drug stock levels should be improved at the health
facilities | en_US |
