Awareness Regarding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Among School Students in a Province of Nepal

Authors

  • Rekha Bhandari Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Rajendra Gorkhali Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, National Trauma Center, Mahankal, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Vaskar Humagain
  • Mandira Onta Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56974/pmjn.917

Keywords:

adolescent, awareness, cross-sectional study, reproductive health, school students

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health awareness remains a critical public health challenge in Nepal, with socio-cultural, educational, and infrastructural barriers limiting access to comprehensive knowledge. This study aims to identify awareness regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health among school students in a province of Nepal.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 416 students (13–19 years) from urban, peri-urban, and rural schools in Lumbini Province, Nepal was done from January to June 2023. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (Ref No: 26-21(6-11) E2-077-078). Parental/Guardian (teacher) consent was secured for students under 18, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were collected via validated questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS v26.

Results: Among 416 students, 146 (35.1%) ( 30.5% to 39.7% at 95% Confidence Interval) had high ASRH awareness.
The mean age of participants was 16.0±1.8 years. Older age, peri-urban residence, adolescent sexual and reproductive health training revealed greater awareness.

Conclusions: This study disclosed that adolescents lack sufficient knowledge and a positive attitude towards using Adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. This is comparable to findings of other similar studies.

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Published

2025-11-16

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 3 (2025): PMJN

Section

Original Articles