Abstract
Background The secondary school student population comprises adolescents aged 12–19 years, who represent around 15% of the global population. The Many adolescents are sexually active and at high risk for unwanted/unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections; however, access to family planning (FP) services for this group is limited. Girls are more susceptible to sexual reproductive health problems than boys, and are less likely to use contraceptives. Despite these challenges, there are few studies on knowledge and attitudes about FP methods among female secondary school students. This study aimed to assess knowledge, use, and attitudes toward FP methods among female secondary school students in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods A descriptive cross section study was conducted from February to April 2017 among 120 female secondary school students, using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine relationships between participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and use of FP methods. Results Most (93.33%) participants had heard about FP methods, but the majority (85.8%) had low knowledge about how these methods functioned. Although 70.83% of participants had a positive attitude toward FP methods, 29.17% thought they were at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, and few (8.33%) had used FP. There was a significant relationship between awareness and use of FP methods (p=0.003). Conclusion Female secondary school students in Tanzania have low knowledge of FP methods. Knowledge of FP methods can help to prevent the consequences of unprotected sex among adolescent girls, and assessment of their knowledge and attitudes regarding FP methods will help in designing and implementing appropriate interventions. Key words: Family planning, knowledge, attitude, family planning method use, adolescent, student