Factors influencing Utilization of Reproductive Health Service among Adolescents aged 12-19 Years in Mbarara Municipality Schools.
Complications of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion are the leading causes of disability and death amongadolescents especially girls between ages 15-19 years. The study focused on assessing the factors influencing theutilization of Reproductive Health Services among adolescents aged (12-19 years) in Mbarara Municipality schools.A sample of 100 respondents was enrolled in the study using systematic random sampling. A cross sectionaldescriptive study design was used in two Government Aided Secondary Schools that is; Nyakayojo secondary schooland Mbarara secondary and a simple random sampling technique was used to select schools and class for the study.The study indicated mass media (31.8%) as a major source of information about RHS. Most adolescents indicatedthat they faced huge barriers including long distances to travel to health facilities while incurring high transportcosts, harsh service providers, spending long hours in lines and lack of confidentiality also inclined them fromaccessing RHS thus causing them to miss some of these reproductive health services, Therefore service providersextend operational time beyond official working hours, have good attitude towards adolescents who are seekingRHS and should provide privacy. The Government should also increase the number of health units offering RHS toadolescents which can reduce on congestion, long queues and travelling long distances thus attracting moreadolescents