Adolescent awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nepal

Introduction Adolescents face various sexual and reproductive health challenges, including teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and lack of parental communication regarding sexual health. Despite the importance of SRH education, many adolescents in Nepal still have limited access to reliable and comprehensive SRH information. This study explores the level of adolescent awareness regarding sexual and reproductive health in Kathmandu. Methods A school-based, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 adolescents aged 16 to 19 years in Kathmandu. Google sheet was used for the data collection from 2025 Feb to March 2025 using self-administered questionnaires consisting of socio-demographic information, knowledge on SRH. Descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, and frequency) and inferential statistics (chi square test) were applied to analyze the data using SPSS version 26 v. Results Out of 200 adolescents, 60% of the participants were aged 18-19 years, with a higher percentage of male students (57.5%). Majority of participants’ (80%) have adequate knowledge on sexual and reproductive health. A majority of the participants (67.5%) of participants felt they had enough SRH information, yet 53% were uncertain whether all participants had the necessary knowledge. Parent-adolescent communication on SRH was generally low, with friends being the most common source of SRH information (36.5%). There is significant association between knowledge level on sexual and reproductive health with age, gender, ethnicity and religion (p0.00). In conclusion, while adolescents in Nepal demonstrate a basic understanding of sexual and reproductive health, there is a need for improved communication and information dissemination to address gaps in knowledge and enhance overall sexual health outcomes.