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Effect of Reproductive Tract Infection Education on Infection Prevention Practices among Female University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are important public health concerns that can affect women's reproductive health, fertility, pregnancy outcomes, sexual wellbeing, and overall quality of life. Female university students may be exposed to reproductive tract infections through factors such as inadequate knowledge, unsafe sexual practices, poor genital hygiene, delayed healthcare-seeking, inappropriate self-medication, and limited access to reliable reproductive health information. Some infections may also remain undetected because symptoms can be mild, absent, or mistaken for other conditions. Reproductive tract infection education provides an opportunity to improve students' understanding of infection causes, risk factors, modes of transmission, symptoms, prevention, appropriate hygiene, safer sexual practices, and timely healthcare-seeking. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of reproductive tract infection education on infection prevention practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Theory of Planned Behavior. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of their susceptibility to reproductive tract infections, perceived severity of infection-related complications, perceived benefits of preventive practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their adoption of infection prevention practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes knowledge, self-efficacy, observational learning, social support, and environmental influences in developing and maintaining healthy preventive behaviours. The Theory of Planned Behavior emphasizes attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions in shaping health-related decisions and preventive practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how reproductive tract infection education may influence infection prevention practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative analytical cross-sectional or quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise female undergraduate students enrolled in selected universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, faculties, departments, and eligible female students. Reproductive tract infection education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured RTI education, frequency and duration of educational sessions, information on causes and risk factors, modes of transmission, common symptoms and asymptomatic infections, safer sexual practices, condom use where appropriate, genital hygiene, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, avoidance of harmful vaginal practices, appropriate antibiotic use, risks of self-medication, testing and screening, partner-related prevention, and timely healthcare-seeking. Infection prevention practices will be assessed using indicators such as safer sexual practices, appropriate genital hygiene, condom use where appropriate, avoidance of harmful vaginal practices, appropriate healthcare-seeking, STI testing where indicated, avoidance of inappropriate self-medication, appropriate antibiotic practices, and compliance with recommended preventive measures. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and appropriate reproductive health assessment instruments. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to RTI education, and patterns of infection prevention practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of RTI education on infection prevention practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, prevention-practice scores before and after structured education may be compared, while relevant demographic, socioeconomic, educational, sexual and reproductive health, cultural, and healthcare-access factors are appropriately controlled. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that reproductive tract infection education has a significant positive effect on infection prevention practices among female university students in Nigeria. Students who receive structured and evidence-based RTI education are expected to demonstrate better infection prevention practices than students with limited exposure to reproductive health education. Education may improve students' understanding of RTI risk factors and transmission, encourage appropriate safer sexual practices, promote appropriate genital hygiene, discourage harmful vaginal practices, reduce inappropriate self-medication, and encourage timely testing and professional healthcare-seeking when symptoms occur. Education may also help students recognize that some reproductive tract infections may occur with few or no obvious symptoms and therefore emphasize the importance of appropriate preventive healthcare. However, stigma, cultural and social beliefs, misinformation from peers and social media, concerns about confidentiality, financial barriers, limited access to reproductive health services, and low health literacy may reduce the effectiveness of education. The study therefore expects accessible, confidential, culturally sensitive, evidence-based, and regularly reinforced RTI education to contribute significantly to improved infection prevention practices among female university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on reproductive tract infection education, infection prevention practices, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infection prevention, women's health, university health services, health education, sexual health, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, universities, student health services, reproductive health clinics, healthcare providers, community health workers, reproductive health educators, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving infection prevention among young women. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating RTI education into university reproductive health programmes, strengthening youth-friendly reproductive health services, training healthcare providers and peer educators, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, improving access to confidential testing and treatment services, addressing misconceptions and stigma, and promoting effective reproductive tract infection prevention practices among female university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Reproductive tract infection education, infection prevention practices, female university students, reproductive tract infections, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, sexual health, infection prevention, women's health, Nigeria, public health.