Ghimire Raju^1,, D’mello Mackwin¹, Khadka Krishna¹, Thapa Deependra Kaji², Upadhyay Abinash¹

Health care in developing countries are not prepared to provide services to adolescents due to inadequate awareness of adolescent health needs and are identified as a vulnerable and under-served population group. The aim of the study was to assess awareness and perceived need of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services among the adolescents (15-19 years) in higher secondary schools in post disaster setting in Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal. The descriptive cross-sectional study was based on a structured, self-administered questionnaire with a representative sample of 542 taken from 16 (30%) higher secondary schools of Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal by applying multistage-clustered sampling. Descriptive data was used to summarize the dependent variables. Bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis was done to find out the factors associated with awareness and perceived need of SRH services. Forty-seven percent of the adolescents have inadequate knowledge of SRH service. Nineteen percent of the students had ever felt the need to access SRH services. Grade XI students OR (0.34, 95% CI, (0.24, 0.5)), faculty p< 0.001, being male OR (0.66, 95% CI, (0.45-0.97)), age group 15 to 16 OR (0.46 (0.32-0.67)), near to family OR (0.42(0.28, 0.63)) were associated with SRH knowledge. Being male OR (2.12, 95% CI (1.3- 3.3)) and being poor OR (2.17 95% CI (1.2-3.7)) were associated with perceived need of SRH services. Adolescents have inadequate knowledge of SRH services. One fifth of the study subject who had perceived need, majority did not seek SRH services. For majority of adolescents' privacy and confidentiality, feeling of shyness played as a major perceived barrier.

awareness, higher secondary school, perceived needs, post disaster setting, sexual and reproductive health