Reproductive health: knowledge and opinions of university students in Erzurum, Turkey.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess knowledge of reproductive health and the opinions of university students towards reproductive health education and family planning services.


METHODS
A questionnaire about reproductive health knowledge and the opinions of students was submitted to 673 systematically and randomly selected students at Ataturk University. A set of 39 questions was used to determine the level of knowledge of reproductive health.


RESULTS
The level of reproductive health knowledge was below the theoretical mean value. An association was found between gender, residential area, parents' education and sibling number with the reproductive health knowledge score. Most of the students approved of formal reproductive health education (88.4%). Approval of family planning services was lower than that of reproductive health education (71.6%). The percentage of men who support family planning services and reproductive health education was lower than that of women. Students who had graduated from Islamic religious schools had more negative opinions towards family planning services.


CONCLUSIONS
University students lack knowledge about reproductive health and most of them agree that reproductive health education should be given in schools. Knowledge about reproductive health differs significantly depending on some sociodemographic variables. Some students have negative opinions towards family planning services and reproductive health education.
Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
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Inandi
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Tosun
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Guraksin
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D014495:Universities