Effectiveness of Initial Sources of Sexual and Reproductive Health Information among Adolescent Girls in Secondary Schools at Morogoro Municipality

Abstract

Abstract Background The initial source of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information is a fundamental determinant of how adolescent girls practice self-management. Adolescent girls are among the most vulnerable groups in society. Among the challenges they face are early pregnancies, unsafe abortions, school dropouts due to pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, this study examined the effect of initial sources of SRH information on adolescent girls in Morogoro Municipality Methods A mixed-methods approach was applied in which case study design was used to examine the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health information among adolescent girls in Morogoro Municipality. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires among 88 adolescent girls and 12 in-depth interviews among 6 heads of schools and 6 female teachers. Descriptive statistics were used to assess sources of sexual and reproductive health information with the facilitation of Statistical Packages for Social science (SPSS). Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis with the aid of computer software ATLAS.ti. Results From analysis the findings provided that the dominant initial sources of SRH information are mothers and slightly female teachers, church leaders and television programs. The overall mean behavioral practices score was low at 1.95 ± 2.24. Four behavioral practices were not practiced by the adolescent girls namely using pregnancy prevention techniques 68 (77%), carrying out sexual transmitted diseases testing 70 (79%), seeking and using HIV/AIDS guidance and counseling services them 71(81%) and seeking and using family planning guidance and counseling services 50 (56%). Lastly, the study found that the SRH information provided initially is unreliable 55 (63%), and does not reflect their age 57 (59%), hence ineffective in helping adolescent girls conduct self-management. Conclusion The study concludes that adolescent girls primarily rely on mothers for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, with some input from female teachers, church leaders, and television programs. However, they tend to overlook available HIV/AIDS guidance services due to unreliable and ineffective initial information. Improving the training of SRH information providers is crucial to enhance adolescent knowledge in this regard.