What Do Adolescent Girls Know About Reproductive Health? Insights into Awareness, Attitudes, and Misconceptions among Adolesce nt Girls in South Jakarta High Schools

¹ Doctoral Program in Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
² Department of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
³ Department of Biostatistics and Population Studies, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
⁴ Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

^* Corresponding riszachoirunissa@students.undip.ac.id

Abstract

Adolescent reproductive health represents a critical public health concern, especially for high school girls in urban areas, such as South Jakarta, Indonesia, were cultural taboos and limited formal education often hinder access to accurate information. This study aims to examine adolescent girls’ knowledge of reproductive health, focusing on awareness, attitudes, and misconceptions. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 120 female students using a structured and validated questionnaire based on the frameworks of the WHO and Indonesian Ministry of Health. The findings revealed that 98.3% of respondents understood the basic reproductive health concepts, and 78.3% believed they were aware of their reproductive needs. Nevertheless, notable misconceptions remained –15% of participants mistakenly believed that oral contraceptive pills could prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although attitudes toward reproductive health were generally positive, only 6.7% had ever visited a health facility for related concerns, and merely 39.2% knew where to access contraceptive services. These results underline the importance of enhancing integrated, age-appropriate education and youth-friendly services. In view of concurrent misconceptions, the low service use (6.7%) and low access point awareness (39.2%), relying solely on school-based information is insufficient. Comprehensive support within their home and community environments is warranted. Collaboration among schools, parents, and local communities is critical to closing the information gap and fostering healthy reproductive behaviours. Addressing these challenges is vital to empower adolescent girls to make informed decisions and to promote their overall reproductive health and well-being.