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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Sexual and reproductive health

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    Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge of women: a cross-sectional study among the women experienced abortion in urban slums, Dhaka, Bangladesh
    (BioMed Central, 2025-05-10) Billah, Md Arif; Koly, Kamrun Nahar; Begum, Farzana; Naima, Shakera; Sultana, Quazi Suraiya; Sarker, Tithi Rani; Mustary, Elvina; Haque, Md. Mahbubul; Reidpath, Daniel; Hanifi, Syed Manzoor Ahmed
    Background: Women in urban slums are particularly susceptible due to a lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and abortion is frequently performed. Our study investigates the level and predictors of SRH knowledge among the reproductive-aged women who have had abortions and lived in urban slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional survey among the reproductive-aged women who experienced any kind of abortion from July 2020 to January 2022 living in the UHDSS sites, applying a predefined interviewer-assisted survey questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (i.e., mean, standard error, and 95% confidence interval (CI)) for continuous and percentage distribution for categorical variables. Bi-variate analysis was used to examine for associations. After checking the assumptions, multinomial regression analysis was used to confirm the determinants with 95% CIs. Results: A total of 338 women participated (221 spontaneous abortions and 117 induced abortions) with an average age of 26.59 ± 0.355, age at first marriage of 16.69 ± 0.173, and marital length of 9.45 ± 0.386. Except for the use of emergency contraceptives (32%), many women correctly identified condom effectiveness for preventing pregnancy (89%), STDs and HIV/AIDS prevention (79–80%), and abortion (98%). About 34 to 64% of them experienced stigmas attached to sexually explicit items. Few of them knew about abortion complications (9 to 57%), with the exception of bleeding associated with abortion (91.7%). Overall, 3 out of 4 women lacked sufficient SRH knowledge, with a mean score of 58.28 (95% CI: 56.70, 59.87), which was slightly higher for women who had spontaneous abortions 58.90 (95% CI: 57.02, 60.78) and lower for women who had induced abortions 57.69 (95% CI: 54.94, 60.45). Women aged 20–29 and 30 + years had high level of SRH knowledge than those of under 20 years. Women with higher education, longer marriages, and who availed post abortion care had high level of SRH knowledge than respective counterparts. However, employed slum women other than garment workers had lower levels of SRH knowledge than housewives. Conclusion: Our findings can be used in the abortion policies and strategies for vulnerable women and we recommend an intervention to increase awareness and knowledge on SRH, which is essential for those women to achieve the maternal reproductive health parameters.
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    The use of condoms and other birth control methods among sexually active school-going adolescents in nine sub-Saharan African countries
    (BioMed Central, 2022-12-16) James, Peter Bai; Osborne, Augustus; Babawo, Lawrence Sao; Bah, Abdulai Jawo; Margao, Emmanuel Kamanda
    Background: Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa still face sexual and reproductive health challenges. Contraceptives have been used to address these challenges. Despite efforts at national and global levels, contraceptive uptake among young people in Africa remains a challenge due to personal, societal, and health systems-based barriers. We estimated the prevalence and correlates of condom use and other birth control methods among sexually active school-going adolescents in nine sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Global School-based Student Health Surveys (GSHS) datasets pooled from nine SSA countries. We included a sample of 27,504 school-going adolescents 11 years and younger and 18 years and older. We employed meta-analysis using a random-effects model to estimate the total prevalence of the use of condoms, other birth control methods other than a condom and any birth control method at last sexual intercourse. We conducted complex sample descriptive and logistic regression analyses to determine the characteristics and determinants of not using condoms and other birth control methods among sexually active school-going adolescents in nine sub-Saharan African countries, respectively. Results: More than half [n = 4430, 53.8% (43.9–63.8)], two-fifth [n = 3242, 39.5% (33.2–45.9) and two-thirds of adolescents [n = 4838, 65.6% (57.5–73.7)] of sexually active in school adolescents across the nine sub-Saharan African countries used condom, other birth control methods and any form birth control method during their last sexual intercourse, respectively. The non-use of condoms at last sex was associated with being younger (less than 16 years) [AOR = 1.48;95%CI: 1.12–1.94], early sexual debut [AOR = 1.81(1.47–2.22)], having two or more sexual partners [AOR = 1.30(1.06–1.58)] and no/minimal parental support [AOR = 1.54(1.17–2.03)]. The non-use of other birth control methods at last sex was associated with being male [AOR = 1.37 (1.09–1.73)], early sexual debut [AOR = 1.83(1.48–2.27) and having no parental support [AOR = 1.64(1.34–2.00)]. Conclusion: Contraceptive need among sexually active school adolescents in the nine sub-Saharan African countries is high. Such a need calls for the development of country-specific and or the review of existing school-based sexual health education and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health interventions that target risky adolescents and promote adolescent-parent effective communication, connectedness and support.