The Usage of Contraceptive among Adolescent School Girls in a Semi-Urban Settlement, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Adolescent sexual activity, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and high number of HIV/AIDS infection have become the main reason of concern in urban and semi-urban areas Douala, Cameroon. More so, teenage pregnancy is a risk factor for poverty, unemployment, poorer educational achievements and poor mental health. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices on the usage of contraceptive among adolescent school girls in Mbanga, Littoral region-Douala.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Mbanga, Littoral region-Douala during the month of February to march 2023 among 201 adolescent school girls to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices of contraception. Data was collected with the used of structured questionnaires and inputted in Microsoft excel and analyzed using SPSS version 23. With a 5% confidential interval. Results: 95.5% (192/201) of adolescent school girls had knowledge of contraceptives. Most of them (41.8%) got the information from health workers in hospitals.  With respect to attitude, they had a negative attitudes towards contraceptives use; 43.3% declared that after using contraceptives it is difficult to get pregnant, 42.8% said pills and contraceptive injections affects female health, 37.3% said sex with condoms reduces pleasure. 56.7% of the participants were sexually active and 38.8% had used a contraceptive method. 16.4% and 15.9% of the participants used condom and calendar methods respectively. Conclusion: Adolescent school girls in Mbanga, littoral region-Douala had good knowledge of contraceptives usage. The attitude and practices on the usage of contraceptive was low among the study population. This study recommends that more sensitization on the attitude and practices on the usage of contraceptive should be carried out by local government and school authorities.

Keywords: Contraceptive, Adolescent, school girls, Knowledge, Attitude, Practices

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/107-04

Publication date: April 30^th 2023