title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of secondary-school pupils in Oman: II. reproductive health.
abstract: We examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Omani adolescents with regard to reproductive health in a nationally representative secondary school-based sample of 1670 boys and 1675 girls. Through a self-administrated questionnaire the adolescents were asked about puberty, marriage, birth spacing and AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Only half of the sample knew the changes at puberty of their own sex, while even fewer knew the changes in the opposite sex. Girls were inclined significantly towards later age of marriage than boys. The mean number of children desired by the sample was 4.9. About two-thirds of the adolescents had a positive attitude toward modern contraceptive methods and intended to use them in the future. Knowledge of fertility period was poor as was knowledge of AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. There was a high rate of approval (80%) of female genital cutting by both sexes.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Jaffer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afifi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al Ajmi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alouhaishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D019093:Circumcision, Female / Q000208:ethnology; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology; D009850:Oman; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires