Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education on Students Sexual Behaviour in Secondary Schools in Lugari District Kenya

Abstract

Reproductive health education is a key strategy for promoting good sexual behaviour among students. This study sought to establish barriers to sexual and reproductive health education on students’ sexual behaviour in secondary schools in Likuyani division of Lugari district, Kenya. The study utilized a Descriptive survey research design and targeted form two students in six selected schools in the study area. A total of 241 students and 30 teachers formed the study sample. Data was collected using two questionnaires, one for students and another for teachers. The questionnaires were considered reliable after yielding a cronbachs coefficient of 0.70. Data collected was analyzed using both Descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of computer statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 17. The study findings confirm that policy and programmatic gaps exist in addressing the RHE needs of students. This is attributed to, lack of clear guidelines on how to address the RHE of students, challenges of dealing with students RHE in general as well as cultural constraints. The study therefore recommended the need for clear guidelines on dealing with RHE of students in schools; demystify the cultural beliefs and attitude towards sex and reproductive education that hinder its implementation and providing training and reorientation of RHE providers. The findings of the study will assist all stakeholders, who include Ministry of education, health and the general public in appreciating the value of reproductive health education, in changing students’ sexual behavior