A recent study in Burundi's Ngozi district reveals that a significant majority of out-of-school adolescents have never heard of sexual and reproductive health services.
Access to sexual and reproductive health information remains a major challenge for adolescents not attending school in Burundi. A study of 767 out-of-school youth aged 10 to 19 in the Ngozi health district found that 66.45% had no prior knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues. This lack of information extends to basic concepts like condoms, menstruation, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections beyond HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
The study also highlighted concerning trends in adolescent sexual activity, with the proportion of those under 14 having had sex increasing from 0.7% to 2.6% between 1987 and 2017. Furthermore, the percentage of teenage girls aged 19 with at least one child rose from 5.9% to 8.3% in the same period. These figures underscore the critical need for accessible and reliable SRH information for all young people.
Knowledge gaps varied by age and gender, with younger girls (under 16) showing more awareness than boys, a trend that reversed after age 16. Researchers suggest this shift is linked to differing socialization opportunities, with older boys having more peer interactions, such as around football, where sexual topics are discussed more openly. Girls' discussions are reportedly more restricted due to parental controls and cultural stigma. Only 9.1% of respondents correctly answered that condoms cannot be reused.
Why it mattersOut-of-school adolescents in Burundi are affected by a lack of sexual and reproductive health information, increasing their risk of unintended pregnancies and infections.
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