<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<bold>Objective:</bold> Reproductive health (RH) rights are the rights of all persons, regardless of age, sex, or other traits, and they have the freedom to make decisions about their sexuality and RH. However, there is limited information about Ethiopians’ understanding of RH rights. Because little is known about the degree of knowledge and relevant predictors in the study area, this study was carried out to fill in the gaps.
<bold>Methods:</bold> An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 3 January to 25 January 2021 G.C to determine the knowledge level of RH rights and its associated factors among Wolkite University undergraduate medical students. The minimum estimated sample size was computed by using the simple population proportion formula of 95% confidence interval (CI), with 5% of marginal error, which was 318 students. The students were stratified based on their academic year and department. Each student was selected from each department by using the simple random sampling method based on their ID numbers. Data were collected by using a pre-tested, structured self-administered questionnaire. Epi Info version 3.5.1 was used for data coding, entering, and cleaning, and then the data were exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 for advanced analysis. The associated factors were identified by performing analysis for bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
<bold>Results:</bold> More than half (56.33%) of the participants were knowledgeable about reproductive and sexual rights and participated in RH clubs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.46, 5.91). The paternal educational level (AOR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.34, 5.65) had an association with the knowledge of reproductive health rights.
<bold>Conclusions:</bold> The students’ knowledge regarding reproductive and sexual rights was found to be little. The Ethiopia Ministry of Education has to include reproductive and sexual rights in the curriculum of high school and higher institution studies.
</abstract>

Objective: Reproductive health (RH) rights are the rights of all persons, regardless of age, sex, or other traits, and they have the freedom to make decisions about their sexuality and RH. However, there is limited information about Ethiopians’ understanding of RH rights. Because little is known about the degree of knowledge and relevant predictors in the study area, this study was carried out to fill in the gaps.
Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 3 January to 25 January 2021 G.C to determine the knowledge level of RH rights and its associated factors among Wolkite University undergraduate medical students. The minimum estimated sample size was computed by using the simple population proportion formula of 95% confidence interval (CI), with 5% of marginal error, which was 318 students. The students were stratified based on their academic year and department. Each student was selected from each department by using the simple random sampling method based on their ID numbers. Data were collected by using a pre-tested, structured self-administered questionnaire. Epi Info version 3.5.1 was used for data coding, entering, and cleaning, and then the data were exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 for advanced analysis. The associated factors were identified by performing analysis for bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: More than half (56.33%) of the participants were knowledgeable about reproductive and sexual rights and participated in RH clubs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.46, 5.91). The paternal educational level (AOR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.34, 5.65) had an association with the knowledge of reproductive health rights.
Conclusions: The students’ knowledge regarding reproductive and sexual rights was found to be little. The Ethiopia Ministry of Education has to include reproductive and sexual rights in the curriculum of high school and higher institution studies.

Knowledge of reproductive health rights and its associated factors among Wolkite University undergraduate students, Wolkite, southern Ethiopia

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Objective: Reproductive health (RH) rights are the rights of all persons, regardless of age, sex, or other traits, and they have the freedom to make decisions...

Variables	Frequency	Percentage, %
Age, years
20-24	213	71.0
25-30	87	29.0
Sex
Male	172	57.3
Female	128	42.7
Religion
Orthodox	128	42.7
Muslim	106	35.3
Protestant	54	18.0
Others*	12	4.0
Ethnicity
Amhara	86	28.7
Oromo	80	26.6
Guraghe	64	21.3
Sidama	54	18.0
Others*	16	5.3
Residence
Urban	170	56.7
Rural	130	43.3
Type of primary school
Public	155	51.7
Private	97	32.3
Both	48	16.0

Variables	COR	AOR at 95% CI
Area of student come
Urban	1.66[1.049, 2.65]	1.23[0.54, 2.829]
Rural	1	1
School type
Public	1	1
Private	1.52[0.72-2.34]	1.27[0.48, 3.363]
Both	1.12[1.03-3.61]	0.69[0.29, 1.68]
Rh club participation in school
Yes	2.14[1.24-3.59]	2.94[1.46, 5.91] *
No	1	1
Rh services utilizations
Yes	1.62[1.06-2.618]	1.21[0.61, 2.37]
No	1	1
Time sex started
Elementary and high school	2.35[1.01-5.47]	0.54[0.27, 1.42]
Preparatory school	4.69[1.6-8.92]	1.71[0.21, 3.62]
University	1	1
Paternal educational level
Not educated	1	1
Primary education	2.203[1.12-4.32]	0.83[071, 1.06]
Secondary education	2.48[1.34-4.62]	1.52[0.45, 2.34]
College or university	2.73[1.01-4.79]	2.89[1.34, 5.65]*
Maternal educational level
Not educated	1	1
Primary education	1.16[0.626-2.15]	0.99[0.388, 2.92]
Secondary education	1.82[0.98-3.35]	1.662[0.89, 3.63]
College or university	1.97[0.96-3.09]	0.93[0.421, 1.93]
Discuss about sex with some one
Yes	2.54[0.77, 5.31]	2.49[089, 543]
No	1	1

Knowledge of reproductive health rights and its associated factors among Wolkite University undergraduate students, Wolkite, southern Ethiopia

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Dec 31, 2022

Page range: 413 - 419

Received: Mar 30, 2022

Accepted: Jun 14, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0052

Keywords
knowledge, reproductive health, rights, Wolkite University

© 2022 Seid Jemal Mohammed et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Figure 1.

Distribution of socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, Wolkite University, January 3-25 2021.

Distribution of associated factors for knowledge of reproductive health rights among Wolkite university students, wolkite Ethiopia January 3-25, 2021.

Knowledge of reproductive health rights and its associated factors among Wolkite University undergraduate students, Wolkite, southern Ethiopia

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Dec 31, 2022

Page range: 413 - 419

Received: Mar 30, 2022

Accepted: Jun 14, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0052

Keywordsknowledge, reproductive health, rights, Wolkite University

© 2022 Seid Jemal Mohammed et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Figure 1.

Distribution of socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, Wolkite University, January 3-25 2021.

Distribution of associated factors for knowledge of reproductive health rights among Wolkite university students, wolkite Ethiopia January 3-25, 2021.

Keywords
knowledge, reproductive health, rights, Wolkite University