ADOLESCENTS’ KNOWLEDGE OF CONTRACEPTION AMONG UNIVERSITY STAFF SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATES

Contraception is the best form of preventing unwanted pregnancies in all populations at all times. Adolescents are not fully matured to take some decisions as they sometimes rely on superiors or peers for guidance and this affect their reproductive health. Knowledge of contraceptives in developing nations like Nigeria is limited among adolescents. The study was aimed at assessing the knowledge of contraception in University staff schools in Rivers State. Three objectives and research questions guided the study. The descriptive survey design was used. Simple random technique was used to select 300 adolescents in University staff schools. Validated and reliable questionnaire was used for data collection. The data obtained was analyzed using the descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages. The findings of the study showed that the respondents' level of knowledge on contraception was poor. It was recommended that contraception education be incorporated into the school curriculum to enhance the students' knowledge of the subject area which impacts on their reproductive health.