CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Sexual and reproductive health need and right  are right for all people to make choices on sexuality and reproduction: These include the right to define one’s sexuality, choose one’s partner, and receive confidential, respectful and high quality health services ( Graffin S, 2006), (Stairs Am et al, 2018). SRHRs also include twelve basic human rights. Which include rights to life, liberty and security, Right related to health including SRH; Decide number and spacing of children; consent to the equality in marriage, poverty, equality and non-discrimination, protection from harmful practice, right to be from sexual and gender based violence, freedom of having different opinions and expression, access to health education and information; and Right to enjoy scientific progress (Shalev, C  2000).

Many women experience violence during pregnancy. The life time domestic sexual violence against women by husband or limited partner range from 19.2 % to 59 %  (Samahegh, Mengistie B (2015). Data rap and sexual assault are seen among college campus students  (Armstrong , et al 2006).Gender-based violence which is both a human rights violation and public health problem affect as many as one out of every three women (Zain 2012). High prevalence of unwanted pregnancies, forced childbearing STIs, STD’s, HIV, and unsafe abortion that depicts lack of knowledge about sexuality and reproductive health among adolescents are noted worldwide (Mustapa, et al 2015). Young people knowledge on sexual and reproductive rights are essential in exercising these right and are included to sustainable development Goals (SDG )  (Golati  2015). Knowledge about SRHRs help tracking of neglected issues such as adolescents’ sexuality, gender based violence, abortion and diversity in sexual orientation and gender identities (Staits et al (2018).

The global population is made up of over a quarter of university students ( yesus and Fantahu,2010) and they for a part of what the medical practitioner will term as the sexually active age group just as any age group adolescents and teenagers have a right to acquire knowledge on their health including sexual and reproductive health need and right ( Yee et al,2011) This can have serious implications for the social economic and human development since this group eventually grows into adulthood. In Eastern southern Africa, some female adolescents express concern about contracting STDS and related SRHR problem to inadequate access to information and inability to communicate with parent about SRHR (Muhammad and Mamdouh 2012)

Young People in Sub-Saharan Africa face various sexual and reproductive health risk such as unplanned pregnancy and sexual transmitted infection ( STIS ) including HIV ( theltlan Guttmacher institution 2004).Sub-Saharan Africa has a high level of HIV with the 2015 global health observatory data suggesting that the region remains most severely affected and has the highest adult HIV prevalence ( world health organisation 2016) compared with an average HIV prevalence of 0.8 % among adult aged 15 to 49 years worldwide, nearly one in every 25sub Saharan Africa adult ( 4.4 % ) live with HIV and the region account for nearly 70 % of the people living with HIV worldwide ( Global health observatory 2016) with an HIV prevalence of 4.4 % Sub-Saharan  Africa compares unfavourable with south East Asia ( 0.3 % ) the Americas ( 0.5 % ) Europe ( 0.4 % ) East Mediterranean ( 0.1 % ) and the Western Pacific ( 0.1 % ) ( GHO, 2016) Similarly other students in sub-Saharan Africa has shown a high prevalence of syphilis, gonorrhoea, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and herpes simplex virus types 2 ( looker kj et al 2008).

In Cameroon, ( 28 / 03 / 2019 )schooled internally displaced women within the municipality of Buea the south west region of Cameroon on enhancing sexual and reproductive health need and right of rural women and girls as well as access to services while focusing on the right of women and how they can keep themselves healthy. Over the last 10 years the state sexual and reproductive health need in Cameroon has been challenging with the level of sexually transmitted disease, high fertility rate and high infant and maternal mortality rate some researchers attributed these challenges to the limited number and quality of sexual and reproductive health personnel working in health facilities across the country ( Nkwenti, and Abegwardena 1 2019)

The challenges encountered by university students around the world are enormous young female adolescents face a higher risk of complication and death as a result of pregnancy than other women (WHO, 2014) .All this implications of adolescents sexual risk behaviour has become very important to researchers there is a need therefore pay a close attention to the need of the adolescents including their sexual and reproductive health need and right especially in the 21st century. The purpose of this research is for effective sexual and reproductive health need and right for student in the higher institution. The aim was to provide data and understanding among students of higher institution about their sexual and reproductive health need and right. It is for this reason the researcher undertook this study in order to assess and have a clear picture on these health right and need of university students in BUIB.

1.2 Statement of Problem

It has been observed that sexual and reproductive health need mostly affect female students is a top priority in the global and national program. Alcohol consumption, drug abuse, high risk sexual behaviour, sexual transmitted disease, sexual assault, unrestrained sex in the family, history of robbery. High prevalence of HIV( 6.9%) unwanted pregnancy (21%),sexual violence  (46.5%) and unsafe abortion  (97%) notably in Sub-Saharan Africa jeopardise the health of university students(WHO, 2017).These university students are at risk of of AIDs and other STDs, unwanted pregnancies, illegal and unsafe abortion, unplanned pregnancy and childbirth, and unsafe motherhood. Assessing these girls and young women reproductive health need and right is therefore conducted to design a comprehensive program for improving the sexual and reproductive health need right of university students of BUIB.

1.3 Rationale

Very little study has been done on the sexual and reproductive health need and right of university students in the area under study. It is therefore this reason that the researcher embarked on this study in order to get a clear picture of these health needs and rights.

1.4. Research Questions

1. What are the sexual behaviour and source of information on sexual education of university students?
2. What are the sexual and reproductive needs and right of gender base violence of university students?
3. What are the need and access to contraceptive and family planning service, STDs prevention, HIV/AIDS testing? Counselling disclosure and supportive measures?

1.5 Research Objectives

1.5.1 General objective

• To assess the sexual and reproductive health need and right among students of Biaka university institute of Buea

1.5.2 Specific objectives

1. To assess the sexual behaviour and source of information on sex education of university students in BUIB
2. To identify sexual and reproductive health need, rights and gender base violence of university students in BUIB

3. To identify the need and access to contraceptive, family planning and STDs prevention, HIV / AIDS testing, counselling disclosure and supportive measures