An assessment of female adolescent health services : a case of sexually transmitted infections prevention in Lusaka

Abstract

Adolescents form a significant portion of Zambia's population and are being viewed as a target group for health messages and services.Adolescents engage in sexual activities at a very early stage for various reasons. Ihcy arc therefore exposed to a lot of STIs for which they need to be treated. STls and especially the lack of treatment for them exposes these adolescents to the deadly fllV and AIDS. Not all adolescents have access to the health centers for treatment of STIs. In trying to llnd answers, 397 female adolescents who were attending 8 health centers in Lusaka for a period of 17 days were surveyed. The aim was to determine the level of availability of health services as related to STls management among female adolescent and also to determine what problems arc faced in the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of STL The findings were that many adolescents failed to access management of STis for many reasons. Among these were lack of money, poor attitudes from health workers, poor laboratory facilities, drug shortages and lack of privacy.Because of these problems many female adolescents preferred to have health centers specifically for adolescents. A fulfilling and positive experience in STI management is as important as a good outcome. Most of the factors noted above can be easily improved upon to contribute positively to the adolescents welfare.