A qualitative exploration of the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of adolescent mothers from indigenous populations in Ratanak Kiri Province, Cambodia

Abstract

Background: Female adolescents undergo drastic changes in their bodies during puberty. Therefore, they need to be informed about these pending changes at an early age so they can build a foundation for healthy reproductive behaviour. This study explored young female adolescents' understanding of pubertal body changes and knowledge of their reproductive system. Method: Female students in grades seven, eight and nine were recruited from eight junior high schools in Kupang, Indonesia. Body mapping was conducted together with a semi-structured interview. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Result: The median age of participants was 13 years and more than 85% had experienced menstruation. During interviews participants listed their pubertal body changes and then located the female reproductive system on body maps. Two main themes emerged in regards to participants' perceived pubertal body changes and understanding of reproductive system. Participants aware the changes in their five body areas and could name one or two organs in the female reproductive system but they were unable to locate them on the body maps. The body mapping exercise revealed that participants have limited knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. Conclusion: Young female adolescents demonstrated sound knowledge of pubertal body changes. However, they lacked an accurate understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. The study identified a gap in young female adolescents' knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. This study provides evidence on the value of using the body mapping exercise in conjunction with semi-structured interviews in research with young female adolescents on a sensitive topic.

How young female adolescents understand their pubertal body changes and reproductive system

“…This younger age might influence their limited knowledge about their body. Despite the marked difference in the age of participants in these studies [24][25][26], they have similar findings with our study. Those found that the female participants' knowledge regarding the reproductive system was limited.…”

“…In this study we identified the gap in knowledge in both the reproductive body and pubertal body changes specifically among young female adolescents. There are several studies that used body mapping to explore female knowledge on their anatomy and physiology of reproductive system [24][25][26]. The finding of these studies were similar to our study in which female participants were shown to have limited understanding of their reproductive system.…”

How young female adolescents understand their pubertal body changes and reproductive system

“…This younger age might influence their limited knowledge about their body. Despite the marked difference in the age of participants in these studies (Cornwall, 1992;Kenny et al, 2019;Victora & Knauth, 2001), they have similar findings with our study. Those found that the female participants' knowledge regarding the reproductive system was limited.…”

“…In this study we identified the gap in knowledge in both the reproductive body and pubertal body changes specifically among young female adolescents. There are several studies that used body mapping to explore female knowledge on their anatomy and physiology of reproductive system (Kenny et al, 2019;Victora & Knauth, 2001). The finding of these studies were similar to our study in which female participants were shown to have limited understanding of their reproductive system.…”

Factors Influencing Unintended Pregnancies amongst Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Cambodia

“…Cambodian youth face numerous obstacles to sound sexual and reproductive health (SRH) including lack of SRH literacy and limited access to modern contraceptive methods [3]. Cambodia is lagging far behind neighbouring countries in the implementation of effective strategies for improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) [4,5].…”