PARENT-ADOLESCENT COMMUNICATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WOLKITE TOWN, GURAGHE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Every year, 1.3 million young people are reported to die from preventable causes of death which include preventable sexual and reproductive health problems such as unwanted pr egnancy, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Parent-adole scent communication on sexuality is critical in informing youth about risk and protective behavio rs which in turn decrease the likelihood of involvement in risky sexual behaviors. Objective: to assess parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and associated factors among secondary and preparatory school students in Wolkite Town, 2021. Methods: A school based crossectional study was conducted among Adolescents in Wolkite To wn . A simple random sampling technique was used to select 385 Adolescents from 9-12 grades and the data was collected by using self-administered structured Amharic questionnaire. Data cle aning and entry was performed and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software package. Finally, it was presented by frequency tables and logistic regressions. Result:- About one-third, 137(35.6%) of adolescents had a discussion with either of the parents on SRH issues. Sex, marital status of parents, mother’s occupational status, living place of the participants and living place of mothers were statistically associated with parent adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues. Male participants were 2.6 times more likely to communicate on sexual and reproductive health issues as compared to female participants (AOR= 2.6 (1.34-5.05)). Participants whose parents were living together were 4.52 times more likely to have communication on SRH issues with their parents (AOR=4.521(1.516- 13.48)). Students whose mothers were housewives were 6.16 times more likely to discuss SRH issues with their parents compared to those with mothers with governmental work (AOR= 6.16 (1.79-21.18)). Students whose mother’s living place was urban area were 3.804 more likely to have parent adolescent communication as compared with students whose mother’s living place was rural area(AOR=3.804(1.40-10.32)). Conclusion and Recommendation: -. In this study,only137(35.6%) of adolescents had a discussion with either of the parent on SRH issues and was statistically associated with Sex,marital status of parents, mother’s occupational status, living place of the participants and living place of mothers. The risk for SRH problems need urgent and continuous intervention. School administrators and teachers may give school based sex education and create awareness about sexual and reproductive health.