REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AWARENESS AND ADVICE-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF UNMARRIED COLLEGE-GOING GIRLS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: A CROSSSECTIONAL STUDY

Yashasvi Sharma, *Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Dr. Mansi Bhatt

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods for developing healthy sexual and
reproductive behaviours. In India, unmarried college-going girls often face sociocultural barriers, misinformation,
and limited access to youth-friendly services, adversely affecting their health-seeking behaviour and reproductive
outcomes. Objectives: 1) To assess awareness regarding reproductive and sexual health (RSH) issues among
unmarried girls. 2) to examine utilization patterns and barriers in accessing RSH services. 3) o evaluate their
perceived reproductive health needs before marriage. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was
conducted among 97 unmarried female college students aged 18–25 years using a semi-structured, selfadministered
online questionnaire. Information on socio-demographic profile, RSH awareness, attitudes,
misconceptions, and advice-seeking behaviour was collected. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and
presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Awareness of adolescent-friendly health clinics was low 32
(33.0%). Although all participants 97 (100.0%) had heard of HIV/AIDS, only 15 (15.4%) knew that AIDS is not
curable. Correct knowledge regarding pregnancy at first intercourse was limited 9 (9.2%), and only 37 (38.1%)
identified at least one contraceptive method. Misconceptions and uncertainty persisted regarding pregnancy risk 38
(39.1%) unsure and masturbation 41 (42.2%) unsure. Only 33 (34.0%) had ever sought RSH services. Teachers
were the primary 88 (90.7%) and preferred 86 (88.6%) source of information. Nearly half 47 (48.4%) expressed the
need for more RSH information, and 53 (54.6%) desired premarital counselling. Conclusion: The study highlights
significant gaps in reproductive health awareness, persistent misconceptions, and suboptimal advice-seeking
behaviour among unmarried college-going girls. There is a need of strengthened comprehensive reproductive
health education addressing socio-cultural stigma and expansion of adolescent-friendly services.

Keywords: Adolescent health; Reproductive health awareness; Sexual health; Unmarried women; Healthseeking behaviour; Misconceptions; Premarital counselling; Adolescent-friendly health services.