The need for sexual health information: perceptions and desires of young adults

Sexual and reproductive health information needs; an inquiry from the lens of in-school adolescents in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria

BACKGROUND

It is important to understand the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents from the adolescents themselves to address their needs properly. Hence, this paper provides new knowledge on the information needs on SRH among adolescent boys and girls in selected secondary schools in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria.

METHOD

A comparative assessment was conducted among adolescent boys and girls in public secondary schools that received a specific school-based SRH intervention (group A) and those that did not receive the intervention (group B). These schools were spread across six urban and rural local government areas in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 514 adolescents aged 13 to 18 on their stated needs for SRH information and services. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test, and predictors were determined using logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05.

RESULT

Majority of the adolescents (82% of intervention group and 92% of non-intervention group) identified puberty and pubertal changes as perceived SRH information need for adolescents (χ2 = 7.94; p-value = 0.01). Adolescents who received SRH intervention have 3.13 (p < 0.001) times the odds of perceiving the need for adolescents to be provided with SRH information than adolescents who did not receive SRH intervention. The odds of perceiving the need for adolescents to be provided with SRH information for adolescents who reside in urban communities are 0.31 (p < 0.001) times the odds for adolescents who resides in rural communities. That is, the perception odds are higher adolescents who reside in rural communities. Multivariate regression of specific SRH information showed the location of residence as a strong predictor of adolescents' perceived need for information on 'puberty and pubertal changes' (OR = 0.30; p = 0.001), 'safe sex and sexual relations' (OR = 0.33; p < 0.001) and 'prevention of pregnancy and use of contraceptives' (OR = 0.28; p < 0.001). Adolescents in senior secondary school have 2.21 (p = 0.002) times the odds of perceiving the need for adolescents to be provided with specific SRH information than adolescents who are in junior secondary school.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents' age, location of residence, and study group were found to be strong predictors of SRH information needs. This suggests the need for in-school adolescents to be provided with substantial and continuous SRH information for healthy living and making informed SRH choices. In developing SRH interventions that will achieve optimal effectiveness in the lives of adolescents in school, different demographic factors should be considered for context-specific and appropriate strategies.

Disparities Between HIV Testing Levels and the Self-Reported HIV-Negative Status of Sexually Active College Students

The methodological issues of using self-reported human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing history to determine HIV infection status are understudied. This study aimed to assess the disparities between HIV testing history and self-reported HIV status, with a specific objective of estimating the prevalence of self-reported HIV-negative status in sexually active students who had never had an HIV test (inaccurate self-disclosure). Participants were recruited from four Hong Kong universities; 255 students were included in the analysis, with 16.1% of participants being men who have sex with men (MSM). Overall, 81.6% of participants reported they never had been tested for HIV, with inaccurate self-disclosure by 65.9% of participants. Among participants who used condoms inconsistently, only 20.2% had had HIV tests, with inaccurate self-disclosure by 66.7% of subjects. Among MSM students, only 36.6% had had HIV tests, with inaccurate self-disclosure by 61.0% of participants. Among MSM students who used condoms inconsistently, only 35.1% had had HIV tests, with inaccurate self-disclosure by 62.2% of participants. The findings raise concerns about the use of self-reported HIV status in clinical practice and research. The low prevalence of HIV testing found suggests that interventions to promote HIV testing should be continued.

College students' sexual health: personal responsibility or the responsibility of the college?

OBJECTIVE

This article examines students' perceptions of individual and institutional responsibility for sexual health so that institutions can better provide for the needs of their students to increase academic success and healthy relationship outcomes.

PARTICIPANTS

Students from 2- and 4-year colleges in 1 state (N=78).

METHODS

From May through November 2010, the authors used go-along interviews to examine students' perceptions of resources for sexual health on their campuses.

RESULTS

Participants believed that it is the college's responsibility to provide resources and the responsibility of students to access resources. Participants at 2-year schools wanted referrals to resources, whereas participants at 4-year schools expected resources to be available and emphasized the importance of a supportive community.

CONCLUSIONS

Students at 2- and 4-year colleges have different expectations of their institutions; by making resources and referrals for sexual health available, colleges can better serve their students, which will result in improved health outcomes.

Planejamento familiar: perfil das usuárias de uma unidade de saúde de Curitiba

Este estudo almejou levantar o perfil reprodutivo e de planejamento familiar e as ferramentas utilizadas para concepção e contracepção, em mulheres em idade reprodutiva, evidenciando a importância das ações educativas relacionadas ao assunto. A coleta de dados sobre o padrão sexual e reprodutivo foi realizada por meio de um questionário desenvolvido com 14 perguntas fechadas, e aplicado no período de outubro a dezembro de 2007 a 355 mulheres de 15 a 49 anos da área de abrangência de uma unidade de saúde do município de Curitiba. Observou-se, dentre as mulheres sexualmente ativas, que: 33,8% usavam pílula (dois terços menores de 30 anos), 25,1% foram submetidas à laqueadura (quase 90% com pelo menos 30 anos de idade), 9,5% usavam injetáveis, 10,5% utilizavam unicamente o preservativo e as demais tinham companheiros submetidos à vasectomia, usavam dispositivo intrauterino ou seguiam a ‘tabelinha’. 9,8% afirmavam não usar nenhum método e 79,8% não usavam preservativo. 40,5% das adolescentes sexualmente ativas utilizam preservativo. A maior fonte de aprendizado sobre anticoncepcionais são médicos ou enfermeiros (38,3%), enquanto sobre planejamento familiar são familiares (20,8%), embora 29% responderam que ninguém as teria ensinado a respeito. Aproximadamente três quartos das entrevistadas desejavam até dois filhos e 48,7% teriam dois filhos. Do somatório provável das gestações, 31,7% foram declaradas planejadas, aquém do esperado. A primeira gestação foi a com maior porcentagem de planejamento, 36,7%, das quais 71% ocorreram na idade adulta, seguida da segunda, com 32,5%. Mais de um terço não planejou gestação alguma. Um total de 37,5% de mulheres teve número de gestações que não extrapolam o desejado. A média estimada da menarca foi de 12,9 anos e 17% afirmaram sexarca até os 14 anos. Das não-nuligestas e com história de uso de anticoncepcionais, mais de um quarto começaram contracepção somente após a primeira gestação. Houve proporcionalmente mais gestações relatadas do que o número desejado de filhos, quanto menor o grau de instrução. Pode-se notar que o conhecimento do planejamento familiar ainda não está bem difundido e o percentual de gestações consideradas planejadas é baixo e menor que o esperado. A proposta é investir em orientações e atividades em saúde, desde os dez anos, em ações de planejamento familiar que garantam o aprendizado dos indivíduos e a escolha informada do casal em prol de sua própria família. 

Sex education during the school-aged years influences sexual attitudes and sexual health in college: a comparative study from Korea

Sex education is provided routinely to school-aged children in many countries without enough evidence that it will benefit them when they become adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term influence of the sex education that was provided during the school-aged years on the attitudes, behaviors, and sexual health among male and female college students in Korea. For this descriptive, comparative study, the data were obtained from 3609 male and 2180 female college students by using the proportional quota sampling method. Overall, the female students had more opportunities for sex education. Receiving this education during the school-aged years lowered the sexual double standard score but was not related to sexual activity among the male and female students. Receiving sex education at different time points during the school-aged years had differential influences on the sexual attitudes and indicators of sexual health between the male and the female students. The results of this study suggest extending the role of school nurses to include redesigning the content of sex education programs, based on the sex and age of the students, and using midwives to provide sex education in community settings.

Sexual and reproductive health education: contrasting teachers', health partners' and former students' perspectives

CONTEXT

National guidelines recommend that Canadian sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education promote access to SRH services and effectively target SRH information to adolescents prior to their leaving secondary school. Within the context of rapidly changing health technologies (HPV vaccine, contraception innovations), SRH education can be an essential health promotion strategy targeting Canada's youth. SRH education in publicly funded Catholic and secular ("public") secondary schools in the National Capital Region, Canada was evaluated to determine whether it meets the standards of health promotion.

METHODS

SRH strategies were collected by semi-structured interviews with 44 SRH educators: 15 public school teachers, 15 Catholic school teachers and 14 referent health partners and 31 young adults. Interview transcripts were subjected to deductive content analysis using the Information, Motivation, Behavioural Skills (IMB) model.

RESULTS

Student uptake of SRH classroom themes (reproductive anatomy, contraceptive/condom use and risk prevention) was fairly consistent with teacher self-report. Students were encouraged to abstain from sexual activity by both public and Catholic teachers. SRH skill-building activities included relationship scenarios and facilitated access to SRH services by teachers from both Catholic and public schools, however only public schools provided condom demonstrations. Students recommended a more sex-positive education as sex was presented as an inherently negative and risky activity.

CONCLUSIONS

SRH education, framed by the IMB model and in the context of school-community health partnerships, is an effective tool for health promotion. Knowledge transfer of biomedical SRH information is effective; however improvements can be made in the promotion of SRH self-efficacy.