IJCRR - 7(18), September, 2015
Pages: 15-18
STUDY ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN URBAN AND RURAL FIELD PRACTICE AREAS OF OSMANIA MEDICAL COLLEGE
Author: G. Sudha Rani, B. Babu Rao
Category: Healthcare
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Abstract:
Introduction: Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely absence of disease or infirmity in all matters relating to reproductive system and its functions and process. RCH phase II programme implementation plan, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved a technical strategy on adolescent reproductive and sexual health. The strategy focuses on reorganising the public health system in order to meet the service needs of adolescents.
Objectives: To assess the awareness level of adolescent girls regarding various reproductive health issues and to impart health education about menstrual hygiene among the adolescent girls.
Materials and Methods: A total of 760 adolescent girls (380 in each area) were interviewed. Menstrual history and history of other bleeding conditions are taken and interviewed about awareness on reproductive health issues.
Results: In the present study only 37.4% in rural area and 48.7% in urban area had prior knowledge on menstruation (before attaining it), and 61.3% of the rural subjects and 59.5% of the urban subjects did not know from which organ the menstrual blood was coming during menstruation. In those who knew about menstruation before attaining, mother was the main source of information in both rural (12.9) and urban (18.2) area. Majority of the rural respondents used cloth as absorbent during menstruation. Majority of the urban respondents used sanitary pads as absorbent. Majority girls whose mothers were illiterate or having low educational status used cloth or both as absorbent during menstruation in both rural and urban area (statistically significant in both areas). Majority of girls followed restrictions during menstruation. Most of the rural girls (42.9%) knew about the leucorrhoea
as a white discharge when compared to urban girls (35.0%). Significant percentage of study subjects found to know that infection was one of the causes of leucorrhoea in urban and rural area with 42.1% and 30.1% respectively. In this study 47.7% in rural area and 54.5% in urban area knew correct legal age of marriage in girls.
Conclusion: There is poor knowledge regarding reproductive health issues in adolescent girls in both rural and urban areas. Hence there is urgent need to intervene in early adolescent period by imparting knowledge on reproductive health.
Keywords: Adolescent girls, Menstruation, Leucorrhoea, Legal age of marriage
Citation:
G. Sudha Rani, B. Babu Rao. STUDY ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN URBAN AND RURAL FIELD PRACTICE AREAS OF OSMANIA MEDICAL COLLEGE International Journal of Current Research and Review. 7(18), September, 15-18
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