Iqbal Sarosh, Zakar Rubeena, Zakar Muhammad Zakria, Fischer Florian
Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, P.O. Box 54590, Lahore, Pakistan.
Department of Public Health Medicine, Bielefeld University, School of Public Health, P.O. Box 100 131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2017 Feb 23;17(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s12914-017-0113-7.
BACKGROUND: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a significant aspect of adolescents' growth, safeguarded by SRH rights (SRHR). Despite various global efforts to promote adolescents SRHR (ASRHR), the majority of adolescents still lack awareness and autonomy to access SRH related information and services. This research aimed to explore the knowledge and perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health rights and highlights key constraints hindering adolescents from accessing and exercising SRHR in the district of Lahore, Pakistan. METHODS: The research uses a mixed methods approach including both quantitative and qualitative methods. For quantitative component, household survey was conducted with 600 respondents including adolescents (15-19 years) and their parents/caregivers. A multistage cluster random sampling technique was performed, based on the population proportion of administrative towns in Lahore district, Pakistan. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Quantitative data were collected by a standardized quantitative questionnaire; analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. For qualitative data collection, 12 in-depth interviews with teachers and doctors and four focus group discussions with adolescents were conducted, and analysed using thematic areas. RESULTS: The research revealed a low level of perception of ASRHR amongst the respondents and identified socio-cultural and structural constraints as the major underlying issues. Although more than half of the respondents were found to be aware of ASRHR, agreed to their importance and were in favour for adolescents to have access to requisite information, nonetheless they believed that adolescents had limited ability to exercise these rights. CONCLUSIONS: The research found a low level of perception amongst adolescents and their parents/caregivers about ASRHR in Lahore district emphasising the rights-based approach. There is an urgent need to design specific policies and educational programmes to promote healthy practices. Research is recommended to inform and advocate Punjab Government and communities, including partners, teachers, doctors, religious scholars and media groups, to empower adolescents through health education. This can be achieved through the inclusion of SRH topics in educational curricula, establishing a virtual knowledge centre, encouraging debate competitions, and organising orientation sessions for professionals/experts and community etc.
背景:性与生殖健康(SRH)是青少年成长的重要方面,受性与生殖健康权利(SRHR)保障。尽管全球为促进青少年性与生殖健康权利(ASRHR)做出了各种努力,但大多数青少年仍然缺乏获取性与生殖健康相关信息和服务的意识和自主权。本研究旨在探索青少年对性与生殖健康权利的认知和看法,并突出阻碍巴基斯坦拉合尔地区青少年获取和行使性与生殖健康权利的关键制约因素。 方法:本研究采用混合方法,包括定量和定性方法。在定量部分,对600名受访者进行了家庭调查,包括青少年(15 - 19岁)及其父母/照顾者。基于巴基斯坦拉合尔地区行政城镇的人口比例,采用多阶段整群随机抽样技术。使用结构化访谈提纲收集数据。通过标准化定量问卷收集定量数据;使用SPSS 21版进行分析。在定性数据收集方面,对教师和医生进行了12次深入访谈,并与青少年进行了4次焦点小组讨论,并使用主题领域进行分析。 结果:研究揭示了受访者对青少年性与生殖健康权利的认知水平较低,并确定社会文化和结构制约因素是主要潜在问题。尽管发现超过一半的受访者了解青少年性与生殖健康权利,认同其重要性,并赞成青少年能够获取必要信息,但他们认为青少年行使这些权利的能力有限。 结论:研究发现拉合尔地区青少年及其父母/照顾者对青少年性与生殖健康权利的认知水平较低,强调基于权利的方法。迫切需要制定具体政策和教育计划以促进健康行为。建议开展研究,为旁遮普邦政府和社区提供信息并进行宣传,包括合作伙伴、教师、医生、宗教学者和媒体团体,通过健康教育增强青少年权能。这可以通过将性与生殖健康主题纳入教育课程、建立虚拟知识中心、鼓励辩论比赛以及为专业人员/专家和社区等组织培训课程来实现。
BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2017-2-23
J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2014-10
Reprod Health. 2025-7-11
J Family Med Prim Care. 2024-5
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024-4-24
Issues Brief (Alan Guttmacher Inst). 2014
Glob Public Health. 2014
BMC Health Serv Res. 2014-4-15