Effect of Sexual and Reproductive Health Education in Preventing Adolescent Pregnancies among School Teens in MOH Egodauayana (2021 2023).

Abstract

Background: The Egodauyana MOH area experienced the highest adolescent pregnancy rates within the Colombo RDHS in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescent pregnancies have significant health, social, and economic implications. The main reason for adolescent pregnancies is the lack of sexual and reproductive education and knowledge. Objective: To determine the effect of school sexual and reproductive health education (SSRHE) programs in preventing adolescent pregnancies among school adolescents in the MOH Egodauyana area Methods: An interventional prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all secondary schools in Egodauyana MOH area in 2022 and 2023. A special expert panel was convened to develop a comprehensive curriculum for SSRHE. SSRHE programs were delivered by trained medical officers in 12 high-risk schools, targeting students in grades 10 and above. Data on total number of reported teenage pregnancies in each school from 2022- 2023 were collected. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyse data and Chi-square test was used to find the significance. Results: In 2021, there were a total of 75 teenage pregnancies, which decreased to 68 in 2022 and further decreased to 42 in 2023, with 38 reported in 2021, 25 in 2022, and only 9 in 2023. Adolescent pregnancies among school children were significantly reduced in 2023 compared to 2021 (p=0.036, CI=95%).

Conclusions: The SSRHE programs implemented from 2021 to 2023 have proven effective in reducing adolescent pregnancies in selected high-risk schools. These results underscore the importance of ongoing investment in comprehensive SSRHE initiatives targeted at adolescents. It is recommended to further strengthen and expand SSRHE programs in schools within the MOH Egodauyana area and outside the MOH area. National policy is a must for SSRHE, requiring collaboration between the health and education ministries.