Abstract:

Background: There is concern on adolescent pregnancies and health consequences among secondary school students who lack experience on reproductive health issue including family planning methods. Secondary school students are at risk as they belong to the adolescent group. Hence assessing the factors associated with adolescent pregnancies in them would be an initial step towards understanding reproductive health problems among secondary school students

Objective:To asses awareness and factors associated with adolescent pregnancies among secondary school students at Ilala municipality

Design: Cross-sectional analytical study

Study population:secondary school students in Ilala municipality in Dar es salaam City, in Tanzania.

Sample size: A total of 250 students were involved from four different secondary schools

Material and Methods: a structured questionnaire including questions on knowledge on contraception, factors interfere with use of contraceptives, reproductive health source of information, parent involvement and awareness on the effect and complication of adolescent pregnancies. Dummy tables were used and epi info computer program on analysis of the results.

Results: A total of 250 students were involved, majority of them 54% where in age group (13-18) years the rest are above 19 years of age, and 182 (72.8%) female, 68(27.2%) male involved respectively. 100 out of the 250 i.e. (40.0%) know the exact days a women can conceive and 82% of these were females. Almost all students are aware of the different contraceptive methods (82%-95%). There was little knowledge among male students (25.8%-31.6%) of the respondents. Lack of knowledge on the contraceptive method is leading facto against their use as revealed by 220 students (88.0%) followed by fear of their side effects by 190 students (76.0%). About 82%-98% of study population has knowledge on effects of adolescent pregnancies including difficult labours, maternal and infant’s death, increased number of street children and girls school drop outs. Among factors mentioned as contributing to adolescent pregnancies including poverty (92.0%), luxurious needs (96.0%), early marriages (84.0%), girls lacking access to education (74.0%), and lack of reproductive health knowledge (94.0%).

Conclusion: Reasons sighted for high incidence of adolescent pregnancies including little knowledge on reproductive health such as contraception, needs following menarche, sociocultural beliefs which restrict parents from discussing reproductive issues with their children was sighted by 165 students (60%), ignorance among parents as revealed by 195 students (78.0). Poverty mentioned by 230 students in the third world countries also contributes to early pregnancies as majority of the girls are engaged in sexual activities so as to increase their income, early marriages is another factors sighted by 210 students (84.0%).