Status of Client Satisfaction for Sexual Reproductive Health Services: A Case Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) Program Implementation in Western Kenya

Abstract

Young people face a wide range of barriers to accessing SRHR services from structural barriers: - Cost of services, waiting times, distance from health facilities, lack of privacy and confidentiality and lack of necessary commodities among others; Sociocultural barriers: - such as restrictive norms and culture that surround young people’s SRHR, inequitable gender norms among others; Individual barriers: - myths and misconceptions, limited knowledge on SRHR issues, limited knowledge on the SRH services and the sources of such services. Youth-friendly services are designed to address one of the main barriers mentioned above- Structural barriers. The youth-friendly services are tailored for young people to ensure their retention in the SRH seeking routine. TICH in the Get Up Speaks Out program, trained service providers in the various community link health facilities on youth-friendly services to ensure that the youth are attracted to access services at the health facilities. It is for this reason that TICH conducted a client satisfaction survey assessing the quality of services provided to the young people on the aspects of waiting time, availability of equipment and drugs, and satisfaction with service delivery among others. The study was conducted in 2019 among the young people aged 10 to 24 years (members of the TICH-GUSO youth groups) who had accessed the last SRHR services from the community health facilities. Semi-structured questionnaires were developed and administered to the respondents by the field officers. This study highlights the variance between services sought by young people and the ones they receive thereby demonstrating a gap in information among young people on SRH services available at the health facilities. Additionally, the study indicated secondary and primary school students utilise most SRH services among young people. Finally, the evidence indicated that young people appreciate short waiting times at the health facilities (of below 30 minutes). The findings therefore call for strategies to address waiting times at the health facilities and information on SRH services among young people for improved access to YFS among the young people.