Factors influencing the utilisation of adolescent sexual reproductive health services by teenagers 15-19 years in Tororo district.

Abstract

The study was determine the factors that influence the utilization of Adolescent sexual reproductive health services by Adolescents 15-19 years of age in Tororo district and to assess the level of ASRH services utilization and specifically determine the socio-demographic, health facility and individual factors that influence the utilization of ASRH. The methodology was a cross sectional one for which a pre tested questionnaire was interviewer administered by 4 trained research assistants to 400 randomly sampled secondary school going adolescents and equitably clustered in the four most populous secondary schools one from each of the four constituencies in the district and data was collected between 3rd and 4th November 2015. Generally the findings indicated a high level of utilization at 74.25% though it did not much the knowledge level of 88.0% among the Adolescents with age, sex, tribe and family socio-economic factors among the socio-demographic factors, youth friendly corners and health education in the category of health facility factors and history of sexual exposure/activity, knowledge and perceived attitudes by the Adolescents on health workers towards them in the domain of individual factors having statistical associations with the utilization of ASRH services by the Adolescents in the study. Recommendations of close collaboration between the schools and the nearby health facilities to improve on school health outreaches to health educate both the teachers and students on ASRH services to improve on their knowledge and thus utilization, the IEC materials should also target other tribes other than the dominant two (Japadhola and Iteso) with more emphasis on the females and the younger Adolescents to improve on their utilization, similarly parents should be targeted to always allow their girl children to have free movements in regards to seeking health care and the government should help to subsidize the private health facilities to provide these services free of charge such that even those from low socio-economic family status are not left out.