CLINICAL ARTICLE Reproductive health awareness among educated young women in Egypt Saad El Gelany a, ⁎, Ola Moussa b a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, El Minya University, Minya, Egypt b Faculty of Nursing, El Minya University, Minya, Egypt abstract article info Article history: Received 18 April 2012 Received in revised form 13 July 2012 Accepted 26 September 2012 Keywords: Awareness Egypt Reproductive health Young adults Objective: To assess the awareness of female Egyptian university students regarding reproductive health (RH) issues, and determine the factors contributing to the students' awareness. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, in which 220 female Egyptian university students selected by purposive random sampling were interviewed by means of an in-depth questionnaire. The interviews were private and confidential, and the questions concerned female reproductive anatomy and physiology; sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS; personal preferences, such as age of marriage and spacing between pregnancies; and where young women can access RH care. Results: A large proportion of the participants exhibited misunderstanding or a complete lack of knowledge about important RH issues. This overall result, which was determined to be attributable to age and sociocultural factors such as education level, comes as a source of concern for both health service providers and policy makers. Conclusion: Awareness of RH is poor in Egypt, even among young women attending institutions of higher education. The present study not only highlights the persistent need for the ongoing RH information programs, but may also provide policy makers with data that will in- form new strategies. © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The major human resource for the development of any nation is the energy and creativity of a healthy young-adult population. Health in general, and reproductive health (RH) in particular, refers not only to an absence of disease but also to physical, mental, and social wellbeing [1]. When young adults have limited access to RH informa- tion, however, they have insufficient access to preventive and cura- tive services. The RH of women represents a growing concern, especially in low-income countries where, in many cases, the rates of HIV infection have become higher among women than among men [2]. In a study conducted in Jammu, a district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Mahajan and Sharma [3] reported that girls living in urban areas had better knowledge about RH issues than girls living in rural areas. No studies of the awareness of RH among young adult women have yet been conducted in Egypt. Worldwide, most previous studies in this area have focused on the general women population rather than on a specific sector (e.g. uni- versity students). The authors' daily observation that young women at Egyptian universities have misconceptions or incorrect knowledge about RH issues prompted the present study. Its aim was to assess RH awareness among young, educated adult females in Egypt and deter- mine the factors contributing to higher levels of awareness. 2. Materials and methods The data were derived from a large cross-sectional, community- based survey administered at El Minya University, El Minya, Egypt, during the Fourth Annual Meeting of Women University Students held February 20–25, 2010. The sample was recruited randomly among the meeting participants so that it would be representative of female students attending all Egyptian universities. Approval for the study was obtained from the institutional ethics committee. A brief statement of the study objectives was read aloud in Arabic to inform consent. Moreover, the students were assured that their participation would be voluntary and that they would be free to leave the study at any time if they wished. Informed consent proce- dures were adhered to. The interviews took place at a location and times convenient for the participants. All interviews were conducted privately, and in no cases were participants' answers made available to family members or other individuals. The interview processes were rehearsed as part of the research assistants' training to ensure that confidentiality would be respected at all times. In total, 220 female Egyptian university students were selected for an interview by purposive random sampling. They were aged between 17 and 23 years, were from 14 cities, and studied at 11 universities distrib- uted throughout Egypt. The interviewers used a structured, in-depth questionnaire consisting of both precoded and open-ended questions. The questions concerning RH were on the following topics: reproduc- tive anatomy; physical and psychological changes during adolescence; menstrual cycle; teenage pregnancy; abortion; premarital screening International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 120 (2013) 23–26 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Elsalam, Eloboor, Magahagha city, El Minya, Egypt. Tel.: +20 2 2337634; fax: +20 2 2342503. E-mail address: saad.elgelany@yahoo.co.uk (S. El Gelany). 0020-7292/$ – see front matter © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2012.07.027 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijgo