Nigeria is a large country with a population of over 100 million people of different ethnic groups and cultures. Of this population, over 21 million are young people whose sexual and reproductive health status ranks among the poorest in the world. Action Health Incorporated being concerned about the few facilities for providing reproductive health information and services to adolescents in the country established an Adolescent Reproductive Health Clinic in 1993 with support from the International Women’s Health Coalition.
The Youth Centre based clinic was established to meet the health needs of young people by providing health needs of young people by providing health care information, counseling, clinic and laboratory services and referrals to young people aged 10-21 years. The common concerns of adolescents have to do with rapid growth and development of their bodies, minds and social relationships. The services provided in the youth clinic are therefore on general health, sexual health, birth control, reproductive tract infections (RTIs), AIDS, sexual violence and drug abuse.
The clinic is open from open 8.00 am to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9.00 am. to 1.00 p.m. on Saturdays. It serves all young people aged 10-24 years . A consultation and counseling services are free-of-charge to adolescents.
In order to make basic diagnostic tests, which include pregnancy test, gram stain, VDRL (syphilis), microcopy and culture and culture/sensitivity tests for urine, vaginal and urethral swabs, affordable to clients, these tests are conducted in the Clinic’s side laboratory, at a low-cost price to the clinic clients, rather than at commercial/going market rates. The same low prices apply to prescription drugs for treatment of diagnosed reproductive health conditions.
When a client comes into the clinic, he/she is welcomed warmly by the youth health provider in the waiting room and asked for his/her centre registration card. If it is the client’s first visit, the youth provider introduces the different services offered and different services offered and prepare a case-file for him/her. If the client is revisiting, the youth provider gets his/her case file from the records cabinet, ready for the health officer or doctor in the consulting room.
While waiting to be attended to in the clinic waiting area which is comfortably furnished, he/she can watch a film or read any of the health education materials available there.
The good things about the is that, being multi-Centre based and youth friendly, a clinic user can just walk into the Youth Centre like any young who is coming to use any of other center facility. The clinic provides privacy and treats clients with utmost respect while maintaining confidentiality.
Apart from the educational session, group and individual counseling, the clinic makes use of a TV and VCR to show video clips of the issues discussed during the group counseling. The helps clients to know the reality of these issues particularly STDs/HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and abortions and female genital mutilation.
Going by the exit questionnaire completed by clients, friends have been mentioned as the greatest source of referral by users. Inviting some other person to the clinic after an individual has used it most probably indicates that the person was satisfied with the services rendered.
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