A cross sectional study on contraceptive knowledge, attitude and practice among teenage girls in secondary schools in Wanging’ombe district - Njombe Region.

Background: Low contraceptive knowledge and practice among sexually active teenage girls in secondary schools remain a significant issue in Tanzania. This accelerates the problem of teenage pregnancy which takes a heavy toll on teenage girls’ health and education well-being. Assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of contraceptive methods among teenage girls in secondary schools is of crucial importance in order to alleviate the problem. Methods: : A cross sectional survey was done involving 600 school girls. A questionnaire was used to gather information on demographic characteristics, knowledge on contraceptive methods, use, access, attitude and knowledge on the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors associated with knowledge on contraceptive methods while controlling for potential confounders. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Results: : Sixty percent had knowledge on at least one contraceptive method. Among sexually active teenagers, fifteen percent reported to have ever used any form of contraceptive and ten percent were currently using contraceptives. Factors that were significantly associated with knowledge on any contraceptive methods were older age, higher class level, Muslim religion, urban residence, type of school, public school and middle-income economic condition. while teenage attitude towards contraceptives was positive (99.7%). About two thirds of the girls had knowledge on the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Conclusion: This article reveals that knowledge and use of contraceptive methods is still unsatisfactory and knowledge on the consequences of teenage pregnancy is unsatisfactory. The government and other stakeholders need to come up with effective interventions to alleviate the problem. Keywords: Knowledge, Access, Attitudes, Contraceptive methods, Teenage pregnancy.