Evaluation of Reproductive Health Care Awareness among College Girls of Jabalpur City, Madhya Pradesh

The present study was undertaken to assess reproductive health care awareness among 250 college girls of Other Backward Classes of Jabalpur city Madhya Pradesh. The study reveals that 38.4 per cent had information regarding premarital counselling. Of this, 65.6 per cent girls accepted that guidance and counselling before marriage is necessary; 46.4 per cent felt free to discuss their sexual queries; and 94.4 per cent girls were in favour of sex education. They felt that doctors (38.5 per cent) and mothers (32.6 per cent) should provide sex education, and 51.2 per cent students accepted that female reproductive health was the most important segment of reproductive health, and 98.4 per cent girls desired more information. Seventy-four per cent girls had information regarding postmarital sexual information, 66 per cent on conception and pregnancy. Only 19.2 per cent girls knew about male reproductive organs, and 15.2 per cent had ever heard about STD. Only .13.6 per cent girls had positive opinion of premarital sex while 44 per cent were aware of the unsafe period of pregnancy, 12.8 per cent had a good idea of parturition, and 70.4 per cent knew that an unwanted pregnancy could be terminated. Fifty-two per cent accepted that abortion by a trained person is safe, and 82.4 per cent accepted that there is need for adolescent clinics to combat various problems among the youth. Regarding their source of information, the electronic media emerged as the most powerful . It was noticed that students desired to update their knowledge of reproductive health. They also advocated premarital counselling. Therefore, it is suggested that the college administration should establish an adolescent clinic or premarital counselling cell. The media, especially television, should realise its social responsibility and telecast informative and interesting medical programmes on this vital issue.