Population Council Research that makes a difference

XXVI IUSSP International Population Conference
27 September–2 October 2009

Abstract

Reproductive health needs and service-seeking behavior of unmarried youth in rural Bangladesh (Poster no. 109)
Marium Ul Mutahara

In Bangladesh, young people make up approximately one-sixth of the total population. The majority of them have poor knowledge about reproductive health (RH) issues and access to services. Moreover, several factors have heightened the risk of sexually transmitted infections among them. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used to evaluate the impact of targeted interventions to increase utilization of health services by youth from rural government health facilities. Using systematic sampling, information was collected from 834 males and 430 females. The study indicated that the majority of young people are not aware of pubertal changes, and absence of hygienic practice is common. Specific interventions have been designed to address these issues. Findings suggest that utilization of health facilities by youth has increased. Innovative behavior change communication (BCC) activities substantially increased awareness of the availability of youth-friendly RH services at health centers. In particular, peer promoters played a major role in motivating youth to receive services from health facilities.

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