Sexual and reproductive health services of adolescents in Turkey
A. Akin, M. Ertem, K. Celik, S. Bahar Ozvaris
Hacettepe University, Medical School,
Public Health Department, Ankara, Turkey
Aim Addressing adolescents’ sexual and
reproductive health (S/RH) issues is an important attempt as adolescents are
exposed to increased risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted
infections.
Objectives The main objectives of the study which was carried out with the
collaboration of WHO/HRP was to identify perceptions, attitudes of adolescents
with regard to S/RH; to determine the level of RH/FP service utilization and the
expectations of university students in terms of S/RH services. Furthermore, the
long-term objective was identified as developing a S/RH services model that will
meet adolescents’ needs.
Methods Both qualitative and quantitative methods were
used and the first year students at Hacettepe University Beytepe Campus (Ankara)
and Dicle University (Diyarbakir) participated in the study. In the first phase,
8 focus group discussions were conducted among 62 students then a total of 3666
students which was 84.7% of the entire group were surveyed by using
self-administered questionnaire in 2001. Collected data was processed by using
SPSS 10.00.
Results “Physician/professional” is found as the last
source of S/RH information. The majority of students in both universities (82%
at Hacettepe University, 91% at Dicle University) stated that, so far, they have
not received any S/RH service. Students also expressed preferring well-qualified
and sensitive service providers who can form friendly relationships with young
people rather than a traditional physician-patient approach. It was pointed out
that, neither current system is specific to S/RH nor young people can receive
comprehensive S/RH services from well-trained health personnel.
Conclusion The
results underlined the necessity of more comprehensive, confidential, flexible
and high quality S/RH services specific to young people that are provided by
well qualified and specifically trained professionals. Based on the findings,
“Youth Counselling Units” were established where young people can
receive youth friendly S/RH services. It is also planned to open Youth
Counselling Units at five other universities at different provinces in Turkey by
modelling the units that were established before.