Abstract
Objective: Problematic access to and use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services potentially endanger the well-being of adolescents and retards progress towards attainment of United Nations health-related Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on a qualitative research approach, this paper examines the level of SRH-related knowledge, service access and use among school-going adolescents in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana.
Methods: We conducted 12 focus group discussions and 18 in-depth interviews with 132 in-school adolescents and six healthcare providers in the metropolis. A thematic analytical framework was used to analyse the data.
Results: Findings suggest that the majority of adolescents had good knowledge about the available SRH services, with an emphasis on the different forms of contraceptives. However, the use of the various SRH services was challenging and reduced to counselling services. Adolescents were faced with various difficulties in their bid to access SRH services, including social stigma, attitude of service providers, fear of teachers and the anticipated negative response of parents due to the complex socio-cultural structure of Ghanaian society. Discussion with elders about SRH issues was considered a taboo.
Conclusion: Whilst social negotiation with parents, teachers and SRH service providers as well as school curricula alignment could arrest the barriers to adolescents’ access to SRH services, eHealth services such as the ‘Bisa’ Health App could potentially provide easy and cost-effective access to SRH information among in-school adolescents.
Methods: We conducted 12 focus group discussions and 18 in-depth interviews with 132 in-school adolescents and six healthcare providers in the metropolis. A thematic analytical framework was used to analyse the data.
Results: Findings suggest that the majority of adolescents had good knowledge about the available SRH services, with an emphasis on the different forms of contraceptives. However, the use of the various SRH services was challenging and reduced to counselling services. Adolescents were faced with various difficulties in their bid to access SRH services, including social stigma, attitude of service providers, fear of teachers and the anticipated negative response of parents due to the complex socio-cultural structure of Ghanaian society. Discussion with elders about SRH issues was considered a taboo.
Conclusion: Whilst social negotiation with parents, teachers and SRH service providers as well as school curricula alignment could arrest the barriers to adolescents’ access to SRH services, eHealth services such as the ‘Bisa’ Health App could potentially provide easy and cost-effective access to SRH information among in-school adolescents.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 443-451 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 28 Dec 2017 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2018 |
Bibliographical note
The original version of this article was revised: Due to the existence of another journal with the same name, the Publisher has added a subtitle, “From Theory to Practice.” Effective as of January 2018, the new title of this Journal is Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice.A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-017-0893-1.
Keywords
- In-school adolescents
- "Bisa" health app
- Contraceptives
- eHealth services
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Social Stigma