Premium
Impact of an Integrated Adolescent Reproductive Health Program in Brazil
Author(s) -
Magnani Robert J.,
Gaffikin Lynne,
Aquino Estela Maria Leão,
Seiber Eric E.,
Conceição Chagas Almeida Maria,
Lipovsek Varja
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
studies in family planning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1728-4465
pISSN - 0039-3665
DOI - 10.1111/j.1728-4465.2001.00230.x
Subject(s) - reproductive health , public health , family planning , program evaluation , medicine , adolescent health , population , family medicine , gerontology , environmental health , psychology , nursing , research methodology , political science , public administration
An impact evaluation of an integrated school‐ and health‐clinic‐based adolescent reproductive health initiative was undertaken by the State Secretariats of Health and Education in Bahia, Brazil during 1997–99. The project was initiated in response to continued high pregnancy rates among adolescents and growing numbers of new HIV infections among young adults. It sought to promote responsible sexual and health‐seeking behaviors among public secondary‐school students, including the use of public health clinics. The study design included a matched control group used to measure project impact. The findings indicate that the project was successful in increasing the flow of sexual and reproductive health information to secondary‐school students and that it had an impact on adolescents' intentions to use public health clinics in the future. No effects on sexual or contraceptive‐use behaviors or on use of public clinics were observed, however. Client exit‐interview data from a subset of project clinics indicate that adolescents who use clinic‐based services are overwhelmingly female and considerably older on average and much more likely ever to have been pregnant than are adolescents in the target population for the project.