Factors Associated with Access to Reproductive Health Services of Students at a University in Surin Province

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to explore factors associated with access to reproductive health services among students studying at a university in Surin Province. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, adhering to specific study criteria, resulting in 320 student participants randomized using a stratified random sampling technique. The questionnaires comprised a demographic survey, a knowledge questionnaire of reproductive health services, an attitude towards reproductive health services questionnaire, an access to reproductive health services questionnaire, and a needs assessment for reproductive health services. The knowledge questionnaire of reproductive health services demonstrated a Kuder-Richardson reliability of 0.84, while the attitude towards reproductive health services and the needs for reproductive health services presented Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.71 and 0.94, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square.

The results indicated that the majority of participants were female (75%), and their ages ranged between 18 and 21 years (55.0%). Over the last 6 months, participants reported utilizing reproductive health services (35.30%), with 97.35% receiving condoms and 52.21% receiving contraception pills. The needs for reproductive health services in the university revealed that students demand services providing adolescent health education and reproductive health counseling at 73.13%. Furthermore, factors included sex, sexual experience, age, place of residence, and expenses received demonstrated statistically significant associations (p< 0.05) with access to reproductive health services.  Therefore, the university should provide reproductive health services that align with students' demands to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.