ASSESSMENT OF PARENT-ADOLESCENTS COMMUNICATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MATTERS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS STUDENTS IN AMBO TOWN, OROMIYA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is strongly influenced by a range of social, cultural, political, and economic factors and inequalities, which increase adolescents’ vulnerability to SRH risks like unsafe sex, sexual coercion, early pregnancy, and pose barriers to their access to SRH information and service. In Ethiopia socio cultural taboos, feel ashamed and lack of communication skill affect adolescent-parent communication on sexual matters. Parents mainly focus on the negative consequence of sexual intercourse. However there is lack of information regarding adolescent-parent communication about SRH matters in the study area. Objective: the main objective of this study is to assess Parent-Adolescents’ Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters and associated factors among Secondary and Preparatory students Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data was collected from students aged 15-19 years old. The data was collected by using structured self-administered questionnaire. The total sample size was 649,calculated by applying single population proportion formulas. Data was cleaned and enteredto EPI info version 7. Descriptive and summary statistics was computed. Pearson chi-square test andbinary (bivariate and multivariate) logistic regression analysis wereapplied to identify determinant factors using SPSS Version 20 Result: Eighty four percent of the study participants reported that it is important to discuss SRH issues with parent/s. However, only 287(44.8%) respondents had discussed at least one SRH issues in the last one year. Discussion on sexual and reproductive health issues among adolescents and their parents was significantly associated with students` age, sex[(AOR = 2.754, (95% CI: 1.746, 4.343)], origin of residence[(AOR= 0.638,(95% CI: 0.410, 0.991)], level of education[(AOR= 2.332, (95%CI: 1.349, 4.034)], 2.456 times [(AOR: 2.456, (95%CI: 1.300, 4.642)] and 4.730 times [(AOR: 4.730,(95%CI: 2.446, 9.146)], type of school[(AOR= 0.321, 95%CI: 0.179, 0.578)] and both parents educational status. Conclusion: Cultural taboos attached to RH, feeling ashamed and poor parent-child relationship to talk openly and in transparent way remained the major factors for not discussing SRH issues among parents and their young adolescents