Skip to main content

REVIEW article

Front. Reprod. Health
Sec. Adolescent Reproductive Health and Well-being
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1361662
This article is part of the Research Topic Intersection of Adolescent Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health in Sub-Saharan Africa View all 6 articles

Sexual and reproductive health service utilization and associated factors among high school students in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Provisionally accepted
Amare M. Delie Amare M. Delie 1*Ousman Adal Ousman Adal 2Abiyu Tareke Abiyu Tareke 3Eyob Ketema Eyob Ketema 4Tadele F. Anagaw Tadele F. Anagaw 4Misganaw Guadie Tiruneh Misganaw Guadie Tiruneh 5Eneyew Talie Eneyew Talie 1Destaw Endeshaw Destaw Endeshaw 6
  • 1 Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia
  • 2 Bahir Dar University, college of medicine and health sciences, department of emergency, Ethiopia, Bahirdar, Ethiopia
  • 3 Amref health Africa in Ethiopia, SLL project, COVID-19 vaccine/EPI technical assistant at West Gondar zonal health department, Gondar, Ethiopia
  • 4 Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral studies, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
  • 5 Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
  • 6 Department of Adult Health Nursing, School of Health Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahirdar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Several studies have been done on the utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by high school students in Ethiopia, but they have yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to evaluate the extent to which high school students in Ethiopia are using sexual and reproductive health services by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.Various electronic databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, AJOL, Google Scholar, and Grey Literature were used to search for relevant articles. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Guidelines were followed for this review and meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 and Cochrane Q statistical tests, and data analysis was done with STATA 17 software. Random effect meta-analyses were used to determine the overall utilization rate of sexual and reproductive health services.Result: This review included 20 studies with 12, 215 study participants. The pooled magnitude of sexual and reproductive health service utilization among high school students in Ethiopia was 29.79% (95% CI: 25.14, 34.43). Students with grades 11-12 (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.39, 3.90), aged between 20 and 24 years (AOR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.79-3.81), having higher level of knowledge towards sexual and reproductive health issues (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.67-5.77), previous history of sexual intercourse (AOR = 4.18; 95% CI: 2.59-6.75), previous history of sexually transmitted infection (AOR = 3.74; 95% CI: 2.22-6.31), presence of a reproductive health service facility in the school (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.72-3.77), and ever-discussed reproductive health issues (AOR = 4.04; 95% CI: 1.62-10.03) were more likely to utilize sexual and reproductive health services.The overall utilization of sexual and reproductive services among high school students in Ethiopia was found to be low as compared to SDG 3.7. Older individuals with higher education levels and knowledge about sexual and reproductive health services, as well as those who have had previous sexual experiences or discussions about sexual health, are more likely to utilize reproductive health services. To increase utilization, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education should prioritize these factors.

    Keywords: Sexual and reproductive health, utilization, High-school, Students, Ethiopia, Meta-analysis

    Received: 26 Dec 2023; Accepted: 30 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Delie, Adal, Tareke, Ketema, Anagaw, Tiruneh, Talie and Endeshaw. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Amare M. Delie, Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.