Reproductive health knowledge and implications: A study in Nigeria

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Abstract
Forty‐five percent of Nigeria's population is under age 15. This study employed a questionnaire to learn the level of reproductive health knowledge of 416 male and female Nigerian students ages 10 through 16. The Chi‐square statistical procedure was used as demographic characteristics were related to reproductive health knowledge among the pre‐teen and teenage youth. Statistically significant (p #lt 0.05) relationships were found between variables such as knowledge of reproduction, family planning, and AIDS when each was compared separately to age, gender, living situation while at school, school club memberships, and so on. With respect to reproduction and related topics, older teenagers indicated more knowledge than pre‐teenagers, girls more than boys, and those living in dormitories more than those living at home or in other housing while attending school. Television ranked first in terms of students’ sources of information on reproduction, pregnancy, birth control, and AIDS. Newspapers ranked second, radio third, teachers fourth, and parents fifth. Perhaps the most striking data are the “I don't know” responses with respect to AIDS. Thirteen percent had not heard of AIDS, 27 percent did not know how AIDS is transmitted, 29 percent did not know the seriousness of AIDS, 37 percent did not know how to avoid AIDS, and 14 percent did not know that a mother with AIDS might infect her baby. Recommendations are made for increasing health services and education concerning reproductive health for pre‐teen and teenage students.

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