What Is Youth-Friendly? Adolescents' Preferences for Reproductive Health Services in Kenya and Zimbabwe

Abstract

While there has been increased attention to youth-friendly reproductive health services, little research has been conducted among adolescents in developing countries to assess what characteristics of reproductive health services are most important to them. Large scale population-based surveys were carried out among youth in Kenya and Zimbabwe. A list of characteristics that programmers often think of as youth-friendly was read to respondents, after which they were asked to assess the importance of those characteristics in choosing their reproductive health services. Adolescents rated confidentiality, short waiting time, low cost and friendly staff as the most important characteristics. The least important characteristics included youth-only service, youth involvement and young staff, suggesting that adolescents do not prioritise stand-alone youth services such as youth centres, or necessarily need arrangements particular to youth such as youth involvement. RÉSUMÉQue signifie 'favorable à la jeunesse?' Préférence des adolescents pour les services de santé de reproduction au Kenya et au Zimbabwe Alors qu'il y a eu une augmentation par rapport à l'attention faite aux services de santé de reproduction favorables à la jeunesse, peu de recherche a été menée au sein des adolescents dans les pays en développement pour évaluer les caractéristiques de santé de reproduction qui leur soient les plus importantes. Nous avons mené des enquêtes à grande échelle basée sur la population au sein des jeunes gens au Kenya et au Zimbabwe. Une liste des caractéristiques que les programmeurs considèrent souvent comme étant favorables aux jeunes a été lu aux interrogés. Ensuite, ils ont été demandés d'evaluer l'importance de ces caractéristiques-là dans le choix de leurs services de santé de reproduction. Les adolescents ont signalé que la confidentialité, une attente de courte durée, le coût bas et le personnel accueillant, étaient les caractéristiques les plus importantes. Les caractéristiques les moins importantes comprenaient le service reservé à seuls les jeunes, la participation des jeunes et le personnel jeune. Ce qui montre que les jeunes ne prioritisent pas les services de jeunes isolés tels les centres de jeunes, ou bien qu'ils n'ont pas forcément besoin d'arrangements qui concernent en particulier les jeunes comme la participation de jeunes. L'étude laisse entendre que la plupart des services cliniques, même dans les milieux de maigre ressource, sont en mesure d'améliorer leur niveau de gentillesse envers les jeunes. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2005; 9[3]:51-58)

Utilization of Youth Friendly Services and Associated Factors in Mekelle Town, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

“…In this study 82% of the youth had regular sexual partner and 94% had heard about VCT service this was consistent with the finding from Harar which was 77.7% and 100% respectively [17]. Knowledge of YFS is a prerequisite to obtain access to suitable service, timely and effectively and in this study, 71.5% the youth was used VCT and this was consistent with the review done in 5 African countries that showed knowledge of reproductive health issues and services was reported as a pull factor for use of the service which was supported by 80% of the study [18]. However, finding of this study was higher as compared with the result of Nigeria in which 63.2% of the students were aware of VCT (59.1%) and 26.4% mass media had taken an HIV test at one time or the other before the study.…”

“…The youths indicated that separate service points or clinics were better for them because they have fear of embarrassment from being known by adults that they are sexually active when they use the same service. And this in-turn creates confidence in the youth to freely discuss about any problem with their family [18]. Moreover, findings of this study supports those in which 200 (61.8%) of the participants freely discussed about their personal issues including reproductive health with their family members.…”

Does Facility Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Meet the Needs of Young Persons? Views from Cross Section of Ghanaian Youth

“…Many countries employ recreational facilities as tools for providing sexual and reproductive health education to young people [4]. This has been done through empowering young persons in making sexual decisions through new skill learning.…”

Adolescents' Views of and Preferences for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda

“…A study based on data from 10-19 year olds in Kenya and Zimbabwe showed that adolescents considered youth-only services, youth involvement in services and young staff as the least important characteristics of services while characteristics generally applicable to the existing health care system-confidentiality, short waiting time, low cost and friendly staff-were rated as the most important. 17 The authors suggest that some aspects of making services more youthfriendly-particularly separate facilities dedicated to young people or the involvement of young people in running a program-may perhaps not be as wise an investment as focusing on more structural changes.…”