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By: Zekarias Menberu, Ethiopian youth Council for Higher Opportunities (ECHO), TaYA
University life is one of the unforgettable moments in the life of the youth. A new environment away from home, with all friends, boys and girls, from every where, universities are the places that youth never wish to miss.
Ever since high school years, students develop the curiosity for the life they spend in universities. Students long for the time they join the universities and experience the tasteful social life they experience in universities.
While all the life that raised their curiosity are there, the students face many challenges when they actually join the universities. Among the challenges include peer pressure, exposure to risky behavior like chat chewing - commonly used plant stimulant, addiction to drugs, smoking, drinking alcohol are the major ones.
All these factors in most cases may drive the students to exercise harmful activities like unsafe sexual intercourse.
During the interview conducted with medical personnel who provides reproductive health services and some university students, I have learnt that many students fall in some problems like unintended pregnancy, abortion, HIV and the like.
According to the statistics from the Ministry of Education, 21 universities are currently operational through out the country while construction of other 10 universities is under way. The intake capacity of these universities has also reached more than 100,000.
Obviously, handling this huge number of youth is a very challenging task. Unless demanding efforts are made to cope up with the challenges, the youth are likely to fall in worse consequences that would have lifelong impacts on their life.
Due attention should be given for prevention activities in the universities to protect the students from the possible sexual and reproductive health problems. Construction of the universities also needs to consider the students need for recreation facilities as lack of such facilities aggravates students vulnerability for the reproductive health problems.
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