MAGNITUDE OF YOUTH FRIENDLY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICE UTILIZATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG YOUTHS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Abstract Background:-WHO has estimated that 70 % of the premature deaths among adults are largely due to behaviors initiated during adolescence, 17 % of young women and 14 % of young men aged between 20 and 24 years were sexually active by the age of 15 years and abortion complications occurs, 67.2 % of those seeking treatment for incomplete abortion were aged under 24 years and 26 % of the HIV positive population in Ethiopia are aged between 10 and 24 years. Therefore, this study aimed to give an insight on magnitude and factors associated with adolescent and youth friendly reproductive health service utilization among secondary schools’ students in Addis Ababa. Methods: - School-based- cross sectional quantitative study design was used from February1-30, 2021. Data were collected from a random sample of 658 respondents, using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data was cleaned, coded and entire into Epi-data version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 24 for data analysis. Odds ratios, along with 95 % confidence level, were estimated to measure the strength of association between the study variables using multivariable logistic regression. Level of statistical significance was declared at p-value ≤ 0.05 Result: -One hundred nineteen (19.1%) of participants had already utilized adolescent and youth friendly reproductive health service at least once at the time of the survey. Participants who discussed SRH issues with parents [AOR=2.361 95% CI; 1.271, 4.385], Health professionals as source of information for respondents on AYFRHSU [AOR=5.166 95% CI; 2.158, 12.365], Service provider's knowledge on AYFRH [AOR= 3.243 95% CI; 1.339,7.855], Service fee [AOR=5.008 95% CI; 1.570, 15.975)], Separated AYFRH service hours [AOR=4.286 95% CI; 2.253, 8.153], Friendliness ofAYFRH service providers [AOR=2.743 95% CI;1.175, 6.404],condom provision service as one of the type AYFRHS [AOR= 2.206 95% CI; 1.143-4.255], and Mother's occupation of being governmental employee [AOR= 2.34 95% CI; 1.026-5.337] have shown statistically significant association with the AYFRHSU. Conclusion: - Adolescent and youth friendly reproductive health services in public school students in study area were found to be very low (19.1%). According to this study, discussion with parents and peers on SRH issues, separated AYFRH service hours, friendliness of service providers, knowledge of service provider on SRH issues, parental occupation, mass media, health professionals, friends/peers, and schools as source of information, condom provision service as components of AYFRHS had significant influence on utilization of AYFRHS. Therefore, stakeholders’ needs to give attention to the above-mentioned factors significantly associated with AYFRH services utilization while formulating strategies and policies to improve adolescent and youth friendly reproductive health service utilization. Key words: - Adolescent, Youth, adolescent and youth friendly reproductive health service utilization, associated factors, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.