REPRODIS: An Innovative Cloud-Based Interactive Platform to Improve Reproductive Health Knowledge of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26630/jk.v16i3.5307Keywords:
Claud-based platform, Interactive learning, Reproductive health interactive systemAbstract
Adolescents with intellectual disabilities are a vulnerable group who often face barriers in accessing comprehensive reproductive health education. Limited communication skills, difficulty understanding abstract concepts, and social stigma hinder their ability to gain adequate knowledge, increasing the risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. Digital innovations have shown promise, yet cloud-based platforms tailored to this population remain limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Reproductive Health Interactive System (REPRODIS), a cloud-based, interactive web platform, in improving adolescents with intellectual disabilities' reproductive health knowledge. A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was conducted with 30 adolescents aged 13–18 years with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities in a special needs school in Central Java, Indonesia. Participants completed a validated reproductive health knowledge questionnaire before and after four REPRODIS sessions delivered twice weekly over two weeks. The platform included simplified text, audio-visual animation, voice guidance, interactive quizzes, and parental monitoring features. Data were analyzed using a paired t-test with a significance level of 0.05. The mean knowledge score increased significantly from 46.3±8.2 (pre-test) to 73.5±7.9 (post-test) (p=0.001). More than 83% of participants improved by ≥20 points. Observations indicated higher engagement during REPRODIS sessions compared to conventional lectures, while parents reported greater confidence in discussing reproductive health at home. REPRODIS significantly improved reproductive health knowledge among adolescents with intellectual disabilities. This innovation demonstrates the potential of cloud-based interactive platforms as inclusive educational tools.
References
Alhassan, R. K., Haggerty, C. L., Fapohunda, A., Affan, N. J., & Anto-Ocrah, M. (2025). Digital educational tools for sexual and reproductive health: A systematic review. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 11, e63309. https://doi.org/10.2196/63309
Ballan, M. S. (2012). Parental perspectives of communication about sexuality in families of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 676–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1293-y
Baines, S., Emerson, E., Robertson, J., & Hatton, C. (2018). Sexual activity and sexual health among young adults with and without mild/moderate intellectual disability. BMC Public Health, 18, 667. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5572-9
Carter, A., Strnadová, I., Watfern, C., Pebdani, R., Bateson, D., Loblinzk, J., et al. (2022). The sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people with intellectual disability: A scoping review. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-021-00549-y
Çöl, M., Bilgili Aykut, N., Usturallı Mut, A. N., Koçak, C., Uzun, S. U., Akın, A., et al. (2020). Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Turkey: A scoping review within the framework of the MISP objectives. Reproductive Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-00948-1
Evans, M., Rego, A., Ogbonna, N., Welsh, K., Zafar, S. K., Barker, L. C., et al. (2024). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to sexual and reproductive health services for women and gender-diverse people with disabilities in Canada: A qualitative study. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2024.2441027
Evlyn, D., Cayami, F. K., Hardian, E. A., U. A., & Winarni, T. I. (2021). Attitudes of Indonesian health science undergraduates toward sexuality in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 118, 104082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104082
Goli, S., Noroozi, M., & Salehi, M. (2021). Comparing the effect of two educational interventions on mothers’ awareness, attitude, and self-efficacy regarding sexual health care of educable intellectually disabled adolescent girls: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Reproductive Health, 18, 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01112-z
Goli, S., Rahimi, F., & Goli, M. (2022). Experiences of teachers, educators, and school counselors about the sexual and reproductive health of educable intellectually disabled adolescent girls: A qualitative study. Reproductive Health, 19, 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01397-8
Guo, R., Xie, H., Zhao, W., & Wang, J. (2025). Web-based sexual and reproductive health education for adolescents aged 10–17 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 9(1), e003714. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003714
Haruna, H., Hu, X., Chu, S. K. W., Mellecker, R. R., Gabriel, G., & Ndekao, P. S. (2021). Improving sexual health education programs for adolescent students through game-based learning and gamification. JMIR Serious Games, 9(4), e19614. https://doi.org/10.2196/19614
Jalanidhi, D. G., & Azizah, N. (2022). Reproductive and sexual health education in students with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 28(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.17977/um048v28i1p14-20
Kuumuori, J., Baatiema, L., Quansah, R., & Danso-Appiah, A. (2020). Barriers facing persons with disabilities in accessing sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(12), e0238585. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238585
Nilasari, H., Indriatmi, W., Gunardi, H., et al. (2023). Developing an online reproductive health module on sexually transmitted infections for Indonesian adolescents: A qualitative mixed methods study. Medical Journal of Indonesia, 32(2), 134–142. https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.247635
Patel, N., Wong, J., & Lee, S. (2023). Interactive web platforms in adolescent health education: Opportunities and challenges. Health Education Research, 38(3), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyad014
Pownall, J. D., Jahoda, A., & Hastings, R. P. (2012). Sexuality and sex education of adolescents with intellectual disability: Mothers’ attitudes, experiences, and support needs. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 50(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-50.2.140
Powell, R. M., Parish, S. L., Mitra, M., & Rosenthal, E. (2019). Role of family caregivers regarding sexual and reproductive health for women and girls with intellectual disability: A scoping review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 63(11), 1317–1334. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31808223/
Sala, G., Hooley, M., Stokes, M. A., Attwood, T., & Mesibov, G. B. (2019). Autism and intellectual disability: A systematic review of sexuality and relationship education. Sexuality and Disability, 37, 353–382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09577-4
Schmidt, E. K., Brown, C., & Darragh, A. (2020). Scoping review of sexual health education interventions for adolescents and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 38(3), 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09593-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Arum Lusiana, Arfiana, Mundarti, Ranny Septiani, Martini, Yetti Anggraini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as this can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citations of published work.
