Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding sexual and reproductive health rights among married adolescents in urban slums of Bangladesh: A cross-sectional survey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3329/bsmmuj.v17i4.75623Keywords:
married adolescents, SRHR, urban, slums, BangladeshAbstract
Background: Adolescents, especially married adolescents living within urban slum communities, encounter significant difficulties in obtaining and exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of SRHR and its associated factors among married adolescents living in urban slums.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 500 married adolescent girls living in slums in Dhaka and Gazipur, Bangladesh, was conducted in the icddr,b Health and Demography Surveillance System areas. We interviewed them using a pretested questionnaire to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice of SRHR. Data on their sociodemographic variables, such as household asset items and age and education, were collected. Principal component analysis was used to create wealth indices.
Results: Knowledge of self-care during menstruation and the oral contraceptive pill was almost universal, though knowledge of condoms, abortion, danger signs of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections was low. They (70%) agreed that young people should have access to menstruation-related hygiene facilities, contraception and sex education, though there was less agreement regarding abortion being a woman’s right. The use of antenatal care and institutional-level delivery was also low. Age, years of schooling and prior pregnancy were positively associated with their knowledge levels. Important attitudinal and practice variations were noted between regions, Gazipur being the most disadvantaged.
Conclusion: There are important gaps in knowledge and practice in SRH service-seeking in this slum population. Heterogeneity in the slum population must be recognised to design services that reach the most disadvantaged group.
Downloads
127
25 Review report
4
References
Adolescents overview: UNICEF Data: Monitoring the situation of children and women; 2020. [Internet]. 2024 [cited July 27th, 2024]. URL: https://data.unicef.org/topic/adolescents/overview/
Santhya KG, Jejeebhoy SJ. Sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls: evidence from low- and middle-income countries. Glob Public Health. 2015;10(2):189-221. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2014.986169
Najafi-Sharjabad F, Zainiyah Syed Yahya S, Abdul Rahman H, Hanafiah Juni M, Abdul Manaf R. Barriers of modern contraceptive practices among Asian women: a mini literature review. Glob J Health Sci. 2013 Jul 22;5(5):181-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v5n5p181
Panda A, Parida J, Jena S, Pradhan A, Pati S, Kaur H, Acharya SK. Perception, practices, and understanding related to teenage pregnancy among the adolescent girls in India: a scoping review. Reprod Health. 2023 Jun 21;20(1):93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-023-01634-8
Anbesu EW, Asgedom DK. Menstrual hygiene practice and associated factors among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2023 Jan 6;23(1):33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14942-8
Sahiledengle B, Atlaw D, Kumie A, Tekalegn Y, Woldeyohannes D, Agho KE. Menstrual hygiene practice among adolescent girls in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one. 2022;17(1):e0262295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262295
Mostafa Kamal SM. Childbearing and the use of contraceptive methods among married adolescents in Bangladesh. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2012 Apr;17(2):144-154. . DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/13625187.2011.646014
Hossain S, Akter T, Mohsin M, Islam MM, Chowdhury PB, Khudri MM. Contraceptive uses among married women in Bangladesh: a systematic review and meta-analyses. J Health Popul Nutr. 2024 Jan 17;43(1):10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-024-00502-w
Kabir H, Saha NC, Gazi R. Female unmarried adolescents' knowledge on selected reproductive health issues in two low performing areas of Bangladesh: an evaluation study. BMC Public Health. 2015 Dec 21;15:1262. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2597-1
Afiaz A, Biswas RK. Awareness on menstrual hygiene management in Bangladesh and the possibilities of media interventions: using a nationwide cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open. 2021 Apr 15;11(4):e042134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042134
Ferdous S, Hoque AR, Rahman MM, Sharif A, Amin MR. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Reproductive Health Care among Rural Adolescent Females: A Cross Sectional Study on Chinguspur Village, Bogura Sadar, Upazilla of Bangladesh. Ecology Journal. 2022; 5(2), 164-173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59619/ej.5.2.14
Williams A, Hasan AS, Hussain MM, Ruwanpura E, Doraiswamy S, Crosbie C, Zaman SB, Hoque DME. What we know and don't know: a mapping review of available evidence, and evidence gaps, on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh. Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021;29(2):2083813. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2022.2083813
Alam N, Mollah MMH, Naomi SS. Prevalence and determinants of adolescent childbearing: comparative analysis of 2017-18 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. Front Public Health. 2023 Jun 19;11:1088465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1088465
Abdul-Wahab I, Nungbaso AM, Nukpezah RN, Dzantor EK. Adolescents sexual and reproductive health: A survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. Asian Research Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 2021;6(1):31-47. URL: http://geographical.openuniversityarchive.com/id/eprint/286
Ahinkorah BO. Predictors of modern contraceptive use among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed effects multilevel analysis of data from 29 demographic and health surveys. Contracept Reprod Med. 2020 Nov 19;5(1):32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40834-020-00138-1
Govender D, Naidoo S, Taylor M. Knowledge, attitudes and peer influences related to pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health among adolescents using maternal health services in Ugu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. BMC Public Health. 2019 Jul 11;19(1):928. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7242-y
Zakaria M, Karim F, Mazumder S, Cheng F, Xu J. Knowledge on, Attitude towards, and Practice of Sexual and Reproductive Health among Older Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh: An Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Oct 22;17(21):7720. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217720
Kesterton AJ, Cabral de Mello M. Generating demand and community support for sexual and reproductive health services for young people: A review of the Literature and Programs. Reprod Health. 2010 Sep 24;7:25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-7-25
Salam RA, Faqqah A, Sajjad N, Lassi ZS, Das JK, Kaufman M, Bhutta ZA. Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review of Potential Interventions. J Adolesc Health. 2016 Oct;59(4S):S11-S28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.05.022
Alam P, Lin L, Thakkar N, Thaker A, Marston C. Socio-sexual norms and young people's sexual health in urban Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan: A qualitative scoping review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Feb 20;4(2):e0002179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002179
Mohamed S, Chipeta MG, Kamninga T, Nthakomwa L, Chifungo C, Mzembe T, Vellemu R, Chikwapulo V, Peterson M, Abdullahi L, Musau K, Wazny K, Zulu E, Madise N. Interventions to prevent unintended pregnancies among adolescents: a rapid overview of systematic reviews. Syst Rev. 2023 Oct 19;12(1):198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02361-8.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Adity Roy Topa, Shafayatul Islam Shiblee, Md. Harunor Rashid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
