Sexual and reproductive health status and related problems of young people with disabilities in selected associations of people with disability, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Young people in Ethiopia face many sexual and reproductive health problems. In particular young people with disability are among the most stigmatized, poorest, and least educated. To date, very little is known about the sexuality of disabled youth, in general the reproductive health need and related problems of this group.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the sexual reproductive health status and associated problems of young people with disability at selected associations of people with disability in Addis Ababa.

METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from Feb 11-17, 2008 to assess disabled youth reproductive health status and related problems. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire and two complementary focus group discussions were also conducted guided by semi-structured questions. A total of 384 young people with disability were selected using systematic sampling technique. The sociodemographic and the sexual reproductive health characteristics of the respondents were described and appropriate statistical methods including chi-square test, crude and adjusted odds ratio were used to make comparisons

RESULT: A total 174 (45.3%) of respondents in the study ever had sexual intercourse; out of which 100 (57.5%) and 74 (42.5%) were males and females respectively. Seventy three (42.0%) started sex between the age of 15-19 years and only 9.2% were married Only 45.4% of the sexually experienced respondents had used some kind of contraceptive during their first sexual encounter. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 62.5% among young disabled females who had ever been pregnant and 50% of them had history of abortion, 87.5% of this abortion was induced type. In this study, 58.6% of the sexually active respondents had multiple life time sexual partners, 20.7% had a casual sex partner and 18.0% of sexually active males had a commercial sex partner in the past 12 months period prior to the survey. The prevalence of history of ever having STI was 25.3% Only 55.5%, 33.1% and 51.8% of respondents had good knowledge on HIV transmission, STI Sign and symptom, HIV Prevention respectively and only 33.3% of respondents had utilized reproductive health services. Adjusting for socio-demographic variables, respondents' educational status, occupation, sex and forms of disability were found to have a significant association with modern contraceptive use (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS: Young People with Disability (YPWD) are at great risk for sexual and reproductive health associated problems. Female young people with disability and the illiterate are the most disadvantaged Awareness of parents, family members and the community about the needs and the capabilities of YPWD should improve and they should work together with the government to provide a safe environment for YPWDs. Organizing programs focused on acquisition of essential skills (communication and negotiation skills) and provision of appropriate for YPWD sexual and reproductive health services deserve due emphasis.