Knowledge About Sexual and Reproductive Health in Adolescent School-Going Children of 8th, 9th, and 10th Standards

Abstract

Context: Adolescence is a transitional period that marks the beginning of adulthood and is a stage in life in which an individual attains sexual maturity. Adolescent’s decisions and behavior related to sexual matters can have long-lasting implications, and if wrongly informed, they can suffer adverse consequences. Aim: The study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge about reproductive and sexual health, the knowledge and attitude about sex-related illnesses, and the level of knowledge about common changes of secondary sexual characters among adolescents. Methodology: 300 adolescent students of 8th, 9th, and 10th standards were selected after taking permission from the school principal and consent from the parents/guardians of the students. Samples were collected from 2 Central Board of Secondary Education schools. 50 students of each standard were randomly selected from the school and were assessed using semistructured pro forma containing questions about sociodemographic profile and knowledge and attitude toward sexual issues. Data thus collected was tabulated and statistically analyzed under the guidance of a statistician. Results and Conclusion: Girls were found to have less knowledge compared to boys. Higher the standard the student was in, more the level of knowledge; 10th standard students had more knowledge compared to 9th and 8th standard students. Parents need to have adequate communication with their adolescents regarding sex-related topics as parents were found to be among the least common source of information, while teachers were the most common source of information regarding the topic.