Opportunities and Limitations for Using New Media and Mobile Phones to Expand Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Six Nigerian States

• Published in: African journal of reproductive health 2012-06, Vol.16 (2), p.219-230
• Main Authors: Akinfaderin-Agarau, Fadekem, Chirtau, Manre, Ekponimo, Sylvia, Power, Samantha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; adolescence, sexuality, cybersex, modelling, catharsis; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; AIDS; Birth control; Cell Phone; Cell phones; Cellular telephones; Child; Family planning; Female; Focus Groups; Health Promotion - trends; Health Services Accessibility - trends; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Internet; Medical Informatics - trends; Nigeria; Questions and answers; Radio; Reproductive health; Social aspects; Social media; Social networks; Studies; Teenage girls; Towns; Womens health; Womens health services; Young Adult; Young adults; Young women
• ISSN: 1118-4841

Reproductive health problems are a challenge affecting young people in Nigeria. Education as a Vaccine (EVA) implements the My Question and Answer Service1, using mobile phones to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Use of the service by adolescent girls and young women is low. Focus group discussions were held with 726 females to assess their access to mobile phones, as well as the barriers and limitations to the use of their phones to seek SRH information and services. Results demonstrate high mobile phone access but limited use of phones to access SRH information and services. Barriers to use of these services include cost of service for young female clients, request for socio-demographic information that could break anonymity, poor marketing and publicity, socio-cultural beliefs and expectations of young girls, individual personality and beliefs, as well as infrastructural/network quality. It is therefore recommended that these barriers be adequately addressed to increase the potential use of mobile phone for providing adolescent and young girls with SRH information and services. In addition, further initiatives and research are needed to explore the potentials of social media in meeting this need. (Afr J Reprod Health 2012 (Special Edition); 16[2]: 219-230). Les problèmes de la santé de reproduction constituent un défi qui touche les jeunes au Nigéria. L'Education en tant que vaccin (ETQV) met en pratique le service de « Ma Question et ma Réponse », en se servant des téléphones portables pour assurer l'information et les services de la santé sexuelle et de reproduction (SSR). L'utilisation des services par les filles adolescentes et les jeunes femmes n'est pas encourageante. Nous avons mené des discussions à groupe cible avec 726 femelles pour évaluer leur accès aux téléphones portables ainsi que les obstacles et les limitations à leur utilisation de leurs téléphones portables pour rechercher l'information et les services de la SSR. Les résultats ont montré un accès d'un haut niveau aux téléphones portables, mais une utilisation limitée dans l'accès à l'information et aux services de la SSR. Les obstacles à l'utilisation comprennent le coût de service aux jeunes clientes, la demande de l'information sociodémographique qui puisse briser l'anonymat, une mauvaise commercialisation et la publicité, la croyance socioculturelle et les espérances des jeunes filles, la personnalité et les croyances individuelles ainsi que la