Determinants of Gender Differential in Access and Utilisation of Reproductive Health Services among Youth in Limuru, Kiambu County, Kenya
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Date
2022
Authors
Mugure, Ngugi Eunice
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Gender differential in access and utilisation of Reproductive Health Services (RHS) among young women and men is a major challenge in ensuring healthy youthful population. Differential access and utilisation of Reproductive Health Services is determined by many factors which may be personal, social-cultural, and socio-economic, or due to institutional arrangements occasioned by policies and practices. This study investigated the determinants of gender differential in access and utilization of reproductive health services by male and female youth in Ndeiya Division, Limuru Sub- County. The objectives were: to explore the institutional determinants, to establish the social-cultural determinants and to assess the social-economic determinants that affect differential access and utilisation of Reproductive Health Services by the male and female youth in Ndeiya Division. The study was guided by the Social Cognitive Theory. Descriptive survey design was adopted to collect numerical and non-numerical information. The target population consisted of 28667male youth and 28686 female youth aged between 15-24 years. The study solicited information from a sample size of 397individuals comprising 198 males and 199 females. Stratified and simple random sampling were employed to select the youths whose data were collected using questionnaires. In addition, five health officers from the two public health facilities within Ndeiya division were selected using census survey.Numerical information was collected using questionnaires while qualitative data was collected using key informant interview guide. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20,aidedin analysing the primary data. The study established that more young women accessed and utilised Reproductive Health Services as compared to young men. The findings gathered from this research will arm the government and stakeholders with information on determinants of differential access and utilisation of Reproductive Health Services by the male and female youth. Information provided may be used to design interventions, such as policies and programmes that are gender sensitive in addressing this differential access and utilisation of RHS. Study recommendations were: The empowerment of young men through training programs to create awareness on the need of seeking RHS without being influenced by gender stereotype notions, young women to be empowered to make their personal decisions on issues of RH, training and employment of more health service provider personnel in all health facilities in Ndeiya Division, more training and employment of male service providers in health facilities to cater for the young men and to ensure comfort and confidence, providereproductive health services at a time convenient to the youth, especially outside official working hours when youth are available, provision of separate male and female clinics integrated in the same health facility, introduction of RH programmes particularly targeting male youth to address their risky behaviour of poorly seeking RHS, andestablish more youth centres with separate activities and discussions for men and women.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Masters of Arts in Gender and Development Studies, at Kenyatta University
Keywords
Determinants, Gender Differential, Access and Utilisation, Reproductive Health Services, Youth, Limuru, Kiambu County, Kenya