Sexual and reproductive health knowledge and practices among youth with and without mental illness in Uganda: a comparative study

Abstract

Background Sexual and reproductive health challenges among youth in low-income countries have persistently remained a public health challenge. In addition to these challenges, approximately 25% of youth experience a mental health illness, a situation anticipated to steeply increase especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is still a scarcity of knowledge on the sexual and reproductive health of youth with mental illness in comparison to youth without mental illness in low-income countries. In this paper, the objective was to compare the sexual and reproductive health knowledge and practices among youth with mental illness and without mental illness at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), South Western Uganda. Methods Using a cross-sectional comparative study design, 104 youth with mental illness and 101 youth without mental illness were recruited as they sought medical health care services at MRRH. Structured interviews were conducted and they covered sexual and reproductive health knowledge and sexual practices. Results 205 youth were interviewed and of these 53 males and 51 females had mental illness while 49 males and 52 females did not have a mental illness. More youth without mental illness (61.7%) had more knowledge of sexual and reproductive health compared to youth with mental illness (38.3%) with a prevalence odds ratio of 0.29 (CI 0.16–0.52) and p value of 0.001. All youth were knowledgeable about contraceptive methods. Youth with MI engaged more in risky sexual practices though the difference wasn’t statistically significant. Conclusions Youth generally have low sexual and reproductive health knowledge and this was found to be significantly lower in youth with mental illness compared to those without mental illness and they generally tend to engage in risky sexual behavior. It is recommended to incorporate SRH services among the mainstream general youth health care and mental health care services is critical to reducing sexual and reproductive health challenges among youth.

Understanding Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Adolescents towards STI Prevention: A Study in Bugembe Health Center IV, Jinja District

“…In Africa, although countries such as Botswana and Ghana have made significant progress in providing testing and treatment for most sexually transmitted diseases, the rate of STI infection among adolescents remains high, and research shows that there is a 45% rise in STI cases among adolescents aged 15-25 years [8]. Furthermore, despite this progress, there is still limited utilization of the screening services, and the infection rate was attributed to many factors, such as risky sexual practices such as involvement with multiple sexual partners and sexual networking, as well as cultural practices such as wife inheritance [9][10][11]. Similarly, in East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, although testing and treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases are provided at most health centers, the rate of STI infection among adolescents remains high, estimated at 32% [12].…”

“…Furthermore, despite this progress, there is still limited utilization of the screening services, and the infection rate was attributed to many factors, such as risky sexual practices such as involvement with multiple sexual partners and sexual networking, as well as cultural practices such as wife inheritance [9][10][11]. Similarly, in East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, although testing and treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases are provided at most health centers, the rate of STI infection among adolescents remains high, estimated at 32% [12]. This was influenced by various factors, including inadequate knowledge about the effective use of preventive measures such as condoms, gender roles, risky sexual practices such as sexual networking, having multiple partners, and misperceptions about condom use, among others [13,14].…”

Mental Health and Contraceptive Knowledge in High Schoolers: Comparing Remote and In-Person Learning during COVID-19

“…Factors such as isolation, uncertainties about the future, and the challenge of adapting to new modes of learning have potential implications on anxiety and depression levels [18][19][20]. For high school students in Romania, the intersection of these mental health challenges with their reproductive health knowledge, especially during the back-and-forth transition of learning modes, remains an under-researched domain [21].…”