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Needs assessment for gender sensitive reproductive health services for adolescents

  • Fatemeh Rahmanian , Soheila Nazarpour ORCID logo , Masoumeh Simbar EMAIL logo , Ali Ramezankhani and Farid Zayeri
Published/Copyright: January 23, 2020

Abstract

Background

A dimension of reproductive health services that should be gender sensitive is reproductive health services for adolescents.

Objective

This study aims to assess needs for gender sensitive reproductive health care services for adolescents.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study on 341 of health care providers for adolescents in health centers and hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2016. The subjects of the study were recruited using a convenience sampling method. The tools for data collection were: (1) a demographic information questionnaire and; (2) a valid and reliable questionnaire to Assess the Needs of Gender-Sensitive Adolescents Reproductive Health Care Services (ANQ-GSARHS) including three sections; process, structure and policy making for the services. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.

Results

Three hundred and forty-one health providers with an average working experience of 8.77 ± 5.39 [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] years participated in the study. The results demonstrated the highest scores for educational needs (92.96% ± 11.49%), supportive policies (92.71% ± 11.70%) and then care needs (92.37% ± 14.34%) of the services.

Conclusions

Providing gender sensitive reproductive health care services for adolescents needs to be reformed as regards processes, structure and policies of the services. However, the gender appropriate educational and care needs as well as supportive policies are the priorities for reform of the services.

  1. Disclosure of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest

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Received: 2017-11-15
Accepted: 2018-01-23
Published Online: 2020-01-23

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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