Adolescent Sexual Health in Mizoram A School-Based Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes.

Abstract

Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by various physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral transformations. Alarmingly, it is estimated that 21 million girls aged 15-19 in developing countries become pregnant annually, with 12 million giving birth. In light of these challenges, a study was conducted in Mizoram to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes related to sexual health among adolescents in selected schools. The research aimed to gauge not only the level of knowledge and attitudes towards sexual health but also the correlations between these factors and specific demographic characteristics. Utilizing a quantitative, non-experimental research design, the study employed a non-probability purposive sampling method to select 100 students from the Falkawn and Muallungthu regions. A structured questionnaire was administered to gather data. The findings revealed that 95.45% of students aged 11-13 exhibited poor knowledge, while 44.2% of those aged 14-16 demonstrated average knowledge. In contrast, an impressive 87.5% of students aged 17-19 showed excellent knowledge of sexual health. Regarding attitudes, 67% of students maintained a neutral stance, 31% exhibited a positive attitude, and only 2% expressed negative views towards sexual health. Notably, the study identified a weak positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes towards sexual health among the adolescents. Significant associations were observed between knowledge levels and both academic class (significant at p<0.01) and the educational background of mothers (significant at p<0.06). The overall findings suggest that incorporating sexual health education into the school curriculum could enhance adolescents' knowledge and foster a more positive attitude toward sexual health issues.