Reproductive Health Needs of Adolescent Males in Rural Pakistan: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This is the first study done to explore reproductive health needs of adolescent males in Pakistan. The purpose of this exploratory study was to obtain qualitative information on existing knowledge and perceptions on puberty and reproductive health needs and to identify effective communication channels for imparting reproductive health education to adolescent males. Seventy-eight unmarried adolescent males participated in the survey, conducted through in-depth interviews by a semi-structured questionnaire using purposive sampling, in eight rural districts in Pakistan. The study pointed out that there existed misconceptions and gaps in knowledge regarding puberty and reproductive health. These young men also have poor knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases dynamics. The communication between parents or siblings on the said issues was found to be poor and they mainly get information from friends followed by the media. The majority showed interest in getting quality information. Multiple entry points and settings can be used to enhance access to information and services. In-school adolescents could be effectively approached through teachers and peer group. Out-of-school adolescents could be reached via media and local health care providers. The results imply that there is a dire need for reproductive health education for adolescent males and suggestions from this study might be utilized when initiating any reproductive health educational service for male adolescents in rural areas in Pakistan. Future efforts should thus focus on assuring access to timely, comprehensive and high-quality reproductive health education for all teenagers and reducing gaps in access related to gender and school attendance.rural adolescent males; puberty; reproductive health; Pakistan

“Boys Remain Prestigious, Girls Become Prostitutes”: Socio-Cultural Context of Relationships and Sex among Young People in Nepal

“…Indeed, the topic of sexuality largely remains taboo in many Asian countries including Nepal (Agampodi et al 2008, Ali 2004, Stone et al 2003, Adhikari & Tamang 2009). Friendship with people from the opposite sex is still unacceptable in many Asian societies.…”

Assessing Reasons for School/College Dropout Among Young Adults and Implications for Awareness about STDs and HIV/AIDS: Findings from a Population-Based Study in Karachi, Pakistan

“…Due to strong cultural factors, both parents and children find it difficult to communicate about reproductive health. The few research studies in this area indicate that boys are more reluctant to discuss reproductive health matters with their parents than girls [16,17], which possibly explains our findings. To a great extent, males obtain reproductive health information, from peers and other sources [16].…”

“…The few research studies in this area indicate that boys are more reluctant to discuss reproductive health matters with their parents than girls [16,17], which possibly explains our findings. To a great extent, males obtain reproductive health information, from peers and other sources [16]. As females are more confined to the home than males, there is reason to believe that they also spend more time watching TV, thus accessing frequent information, mainly about HIV/AIDS [18].…”

“…In Pakistan, political and socio-cultural traditions are major constraints to the prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS since adolescents in general are poorly informed about reproductive health matters, including contraception [16,17]. Moreover, there is no sex education in schools due to cultural and religious reasons.…”

A produção de sentidos intergeracional de homens sobre o planejamento familiar

“…Apesar dos poucos estudos empíricos que denotam o que é ser pai adolescente na perspectiva do pai (Ali, Bhatti & Ushuma, 2004), esta faixa etária conflui com o momento de escolarização e a entrada dos adolescentes na fase da fecundidade, com atividades isoladas de alguns dos programas de saúde no espaço escolar (Ferrari, Thomson & Melchior, 2006). Além das diferenças intergeracionais na escolaridade entre afrodescendentes e não-afrodescendentes.…”