Abstract:

Background: Adolescence is the transition period from childhood to adulthood, at this period adolescent start to become sexually active. They usually start sex at earlier age at which they lack enough knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and also reduced ability to negotiate safer sex. The consequences they encountered include increased incidences of HIV and sexually transmitted infections worldwide, teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortion, school dropout and death related to pregnancy complication. Adolescent reproductive health interventions are very important to work timely and the coverage should consider both rural and urban areas equally.

Objective: Assessment of knowledge and practice on reproductive health among adolescents attending Misungwi secondary school Mwanza.

Methodology: A questionnaire tool developed and focused on assessment of knowledge and practice about sexual and reproductive health. Data collected among 103 adolescents of Misungwi secondary school Mwanza, included age between 13 to 19 years which were random selected from form one to form six.

Results: The study revealed that 15.5% of adolescents have started sexual intercourse and only 17.5 have the knowledge on conception period although none of the girls has ever been conceiving. Majority (90.3%) know that condom prevent HIV, STI’s and unwanted pregnancy but only 12.5% of those started sexual intercourse use condom consistently. None of adolescent has ever attended family planning clinic. The overall knowledge score on HIV is poor 40.8%, mean 2.6 points and s.d +/- 1.0. 39.8% have knowledge of STI’s and 25% reported to have history of acquiring STI’s.

Conclusion: Students of Misungwi secondary school have poor knowledge on reproductive health which need urgent intervention, no access of condom and other family planning services despite of being sexually active. Some had acquired sexually transmitted infections.