Assessing communication between adolescents and parents on sexual and reproductive health a case study of Ilala district –Dar es salaam region, Tanzania
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Date
2014
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Various stakeholders have made efforts and urge parents and guardians to speak to their children about Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues so as to ensure that they make right decisions. In spite of the fact that SRH education can promote healthy sexual behaviours of the adolescents, the results of this intervention are still at a minimal even after several efforts made by different organizations such as AMREF, JICA Tanzania and the Tanzanian government.
The general objective of the study was to assess communication between adolescents and parents on sexual and reproductive health. Specifically, the study aimed at exploring attitudes/perceptions of parents regarding communication on SRH matters, determining methods or mechanisms used by parents to address adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, to find out frequency, timing and topics conversed between adolescents and parents on sexual and reproductive health, and to identify challenges parents and adolescents face while conversing about sexual reproductive health. The study was conducted in Ilala Municipality in Dar es Salaam region. A sample of 90 respondents was used in this study. Simple random and purposive sampling were applied in selecting the parents and students respectively. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and documentary review. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed in analysing quantitative data while thematic approach was adopted to analyse qualitative data. The study showed that there is very negative perception and attitudes of parents on SRH matters. They felt talking about sex with their children as shameful, immoral and encouraging the child to have sex. Parent-child communication about SRH happened in few families even though adolescents appreciated the idea of communication on SRH matters. The communication was mainly on same sex basis (mother-daughter and rarely father-son or father-daughter) and mostly took place in the form of warnings and threats. Communication was triggered by seeing or hearing something a parent perceived negative and would not like their child to experience (such as a death attributable to HIV and unmarried young person's pregnancy). Although most young people were relaxed with their mothers than fathers, there is lack of trust as to what they can tell their parents for fear of punishment. Parents were limited as to what they could communicate about SRH because of lack of appropriate knowledge and cultural norms that restricted interactions between opposite sex and that the subject itself is considered as a taboo to be discussed. It is concluded that due to the consequences of the HIV pandemic, parents are making attempts to communicate with their children about SRH. They are however, limited by cultural barriers, and lack of appropriate knowledge. With some skills training on communication and SRH, parents may be a natural avenue for channeling and reinforcing HIV/AIDS prevention messages to their children as well as controlling the ever increasing rate of pregnancies among school girls who end up dropping out of schools. It is recommended that the government should reconsider formulating a well strategic policy that will allow the teaching of SRH from primary schools as one of the subject on a more comprehensive approach and more participatory manner.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Chagula Library, Class mark Dr. Wilbert (THS EAF HQ35.T34D86)
Keywords
Sexual behavior, Sexual ethics, Health and hygiene, Tanzania, Adolescents, Dar es Salaam
Citation
Dungumaro, J.W. (2014) Assessing communication between adolescents and parents on sexual and reproductive health a case study of Ilala district –Dar es salaam region, Tanzania, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam