An Assessment of Utilization of the Adolescent Friendly Health Services by the respective clients in Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia

Abstract

Adolescents experience development related challenges more so those related to the reproductive health. If they are not guided during this transitional stage, they may reap detrimental results including teenage pregnancy. Despite the existence of the national standards for Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS) to prevent among others teenage pregnancy, adolescent pregnancy continues to rise across the regions of Namibia.This article presents the findings of quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study regarding the utilization of the Adolescent Active Participation component of the Adolescent Friendly Health Services standards by the adolescent girls in Otjozondjupa region of Namibia.Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaire from a sample of 540 out of study population of 4995 school-going teenage girls as the potential users of the AFHS in Otjozondjupa Region.The findings indicated that, although the standards for the implementation of AFHS exist, adolescent girls do not utilize the services as demonstrated by high percentage (96%) of lack of awareness of the existence of the AFHS among the study participants, low (33%) use of condom among the sexually active study participants, non-participation (92%) of adolescent girls in health care committees as well as adolescents' lack of participation (91%) in development and distributions of the Information Education Communication materials (IEC). Therefore, the study recommended the strategies which may accelerate active participations of the adolescents in the implementation of the AFHS standards, particularly in Otjozondjupa region and Namibia at large.