Improving refugees' reproductive health through literacy in Guinea.
Adult literacy programmes, particularly literacy-for-health programmes that integrate health material in their curricula, are gaining momentum as a means to improve women's and children's health and increase women's empowerment. However, the relationship between literacy skills and these benefits remains unclear. This paper presents results from a study on the Reproductive Health Literacy (RHL) Project among Sierra Leonean and Liberian women in refugee camps in Guinea. Literacy classes met for 2 hours twice per week for 6 months, with content focused on safe motherhood, family planning, STIs/HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence. A closed-ended interview and a written test of literacy skills were administered to 549 former RHL students to understand the programme's effects. Results indicate that participants had a high level of reproductive health knowledge after participation, and reported an increase in literacy skills. Respondents' current use of modern contraception was 48%, of which 23% reported using a condom at last sex. Findings suggest an increase from reported pre-RHL behaviour. Participants also reported a dramatic increase in 'boldness', the phrase used to describe empowerment. While only a third (32%) of respondents considered themselves 'more bold' than other women before RHL, a clear majority (82%) so considered themselves after RHL. A comparison of schooled and unschooled women indicates that those who had had previous schooling did better in RHL than their non-schooled colleagues, but both groups had good knowledge retention, positive behaviour levels and felt more bold after RHL participation.
McGinn
T
T
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. tjm22@columbia.edu
Allen
K
K
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016701:Guinea; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012036:Refugees / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult