Knowledge, use and awareness of reproductive health services among youths

This study examined the knowledge, use and awareness of reproductive health services among youths. The focus was on secondary school students and nurses from different family planning programs. In addition, the study emphasized the availability of information on sex and sexuality for youths, awareness of family planning services and finally the need for sex education. The study area was chosen to be Dar-es-salaam urban because of its heterogeneous nature. Dar-es-salaam has diversified ethnic and cultural groups that in turn influence people's behaviour, particularly youth's sexuality. The main instruments of data collection were interview schedule using questionnaires. Other sources were informal interview, observations and documentary sources. Four secondary schools were selected that had two distinct features, namely coed schools and single sex schools. Also, three family planning programs were selected with the following features: namely local non-governmental organisation, private nongovernmental organisation and government based organisation. A total of 301 students and 4 nurses were involved. The findings revealed that young people do engage in sexual relations at a very young age. Yet most of the existing programs which are supposed to offer services to the youths are guided by the traditionalist-moral sexual ideology. The programs can not establish themselves in schools because the government has not allowed them.Thus, youths who shy away from being associated with deviant behaviour which is not approved by their parents will not be attracted to such programs. It is therefore recommended that all the programs need to coordinate in order to achieve the very similar goal they all share.