Utilization of Reproductive Health Services and associated factors among secondary school students in Woldia Town, Northeast Ethiopia, 2020

Abstract Background: Despite policy actions and strategic efforts made reproductive health service uptake of youths in Ethiopia, its utilization remains low. Local evidence about the utilization of reproductive health service among adolescents and associated factors are relevant to design age-appropriate intervention strategies. Objective: The main aim of this study was to assess the utilization of reproductive health service and associated factors among adolescents in Woldia town secondary schools, Amhara, Ethiopia, 2019.Methods: Institutional based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 secondary school students in Woldia Town from January - June 2019. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The samples were distributed proportionally and participants in each school were selected by systematic sampling technique. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was carried out to asses’ association between dependent and independent variables. Result: Two hundred seventy (64.3%) respondents utilize reproductive health service. Residence, educational status of the partner, presence of RHS facility in school, good knowledge level on RHS were significantly associated with the reproductive health services utilization. Conclusion and Recommendations: Knowledge of respondents on reproductive health issues in the study area was found to be low. This low service utilization might make students disposed to different reproductive health risks; STI, HIV, and unwanted pregnancy; which in turn can increase the school dropout rate, and have an impact on an individual’s future life.