A Study on Assessment of Knowledge of Reproductive Health Education among the Students of Jammu Region, J and K State

Abstract

Adolescence is a life's essential transition phase starting around 10, 11 or 12 years and concludes between the age of 18-21 years. Deficiency of reproductive health information and sexual experimentations in this stage of storm and stress expose adolescents to grave health pressure. Adolescents must have access to logical Reproductive Health information to increase healthy attitude towards Reproductive Health issues. The aim of writing this paper was to assess the the knowledge of adolescent students studying in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir state towards Reproductive Health Education and to be familiar with reproductive health issues among adolescents. The present study was carried out on 400 Adolescent Higher Secondary School students of Jammu region using a well designed pre-tested questionnaire. The results of our study showed that students had constructive attitude towards Reproductive Health Education as majority (boys = 86.0%, girls=84.5%) of respondents recommended Reproductive Health Education in school curriculum. Further, 40.0% boys and 35.5% girl respondents were of the opinion that lecture by expert is a preferred method of imparting Reproductive Health Education, 32.0% boys and 28.5% girl students under study favored to communicate with Doctors/Health Workers followed by parents brothers/sisters (23.0%) in case of girls and friends (23.5%) in case of boys concerning Reproductive Health issues. Further, the study revealed that girl students (51.5%) favored to get married under 24 years as they were of the belief that it is the prime of life, and can give birth without much troubles whereas majority of boys understudy (65.5%) told that they prefer to get married above 24 years as they desire to complete education first and find a appropriate job in order to feed family unit. Majority of the respondents (58.5%) believed that youth living in urban areas possesses more knowledge about reproductive health than youth living in rural areas. Further, majority of the students possesses good knowledge about HIV/AIDS and STDs. It is concluded from our study that there is a requirement of providing proper scientific information to teenagers concerning reproductive health by incorporating Reproductive Health Education in school syllabus and lectures by experts in order to advance their awareness and consequently reproductive health condition.