Contraceptive literacy among school-going adolescents in Botswana.
Francis Barchi, Oleosi Ntshebe, Helen Apps and 1 others
PMID 34472085WHAT IT FOUND
Most of 233 adolescents knew a contraceptive existed, but fewer knew where to get one.
Girls were less likely than boys to report correct condom use, and those willing to ask a health professional were more likely to know correct use.
Key findings
01Among 233 adolescents, 90% were aware of at least one modern contraceptive, but only 67% knew a source for at least one method.
02Girls were less likely than boys to report knowing how to use a condom correctly: 20% versus 47%.
03Adolescents who consulted health professionals on sexual and reproductive health questions had eight times greater odds of reporting correct condom use than those who consulted teachers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The adolescents were recruited from ARK clubs that already met weekly for sexual and reproductive health education, so they may have been more interested or comfortable discussing these topics than other adolescents. Findings may not generalize to all adolescents in Botswana. The sample size and limited sociodemographic variables prevented controlling for all possible influences on contraceptive literacy. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot show that consulting a health professional caused better condom knowledge. Nurses and doctors were combined as health professionals in the analysis, so the study cannot separate nurses' contribution. The number of sexually active adolescents was small, and reported use rates may be unstable.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The study is described as the research component of the Aka! Re Koo! Project, a program run by WoMen Against Rape, but the paper does not state who funded the survey.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurses improve adolescents' condom knowledge. The eight-times finding was an association with consulting health professionals, nurses and doctors were combined in the measure, and the cross-sectional survey did not test a nurse-delivered education program.