Comprehensive sexuality education linked to sexual and reproductive health services reduces early and unintended pregnancies among in-school adolescent girls in Zambia

Abstract

Plain English summary Among Zambia’s key health and development challenges, are high rates of EUP, and disproportionately higher HIV rates among AGYW. Pregnancy among girls in school poses a challenge. CSE programmes are part of available armamentarium to improve knowledge on the risks. Poor SRH places a heavy strain on health systems and undermines sustainable development efforts. In response to these challenges, we initiated implementation research to develop and test a model linking CSE programs in schools with access to SRH services and information. Research was conducted in 23 schools and their local catchment health care facilities in two North Western province districts of Zambia. Following baseline data collection, schools were selected to ensure comparability of indicators such as reported pregnancy rates, CSE, and subsequently randomized into three study arms, with the first arm continuing standard instruction of CSE (control). The second arm was designed to bring information on available SRH services to schools, including raising awareness through health fares and clubs. In the third arm, health providers were trained to be more receptive to ASRH health needs, in addition to encouraging teachers to introduce students to health services. Pregnancies declined in all intervention arms at endline, with marked reductions in intervention Arm 2 which recorded 0.74% of in school pregnancies (p < O.001), followed by arm 3, with 1.34% (p < 0.001). The decline in intervention arms was more than 50% in intervention arms, as compared with control arm, and significantly lower, as a proportion of AGYW in arm 2, followed by arm 3.

Keywords

• Comprehensive sexuality education
• Adolescent girls and young women
• Early and unintended pregnancies
• Adolescent sexual and reproductive health
• Sub-Saharan Africa