Sexual health interventions among early adolescents: an integrative review

Purpose Adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV are important public health issues in many countries around the world. The trend is escalating among adolescents of younger ages. Many programmes aim to prevent adolescent sexual risk behaviours associated with these health outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse methodological and substantive features of research on interventions to delay the initiation of sexual intercourse and prevent other sexual risk behaviours among early adolescents. Design/methodology/approach The review includes studies published between 2006 and 2017 that appear in Thai and international databases. Findings A total of 33 studies met specified review criteria. Of the studies reviewed, 14 used randomized control designs, 16 used quasi-experimental designs and three used a pre-test, post-test design. Sample sizes ranged from 64 to 4,776 subjects; nearly two-thirds of the studies (n = 22) included multiple follow-up surveys. The programmes evaluated in these studies can be grouped into three categories: abstinence-based sexuality education programmes (n = 12), comprehensive sexuality education programmes (n = 13) and youth development programmes designed for early adolescents (n = 10). In total, 22 programmes reviewed were effective in changing targeted adolescent psychosocial and/or behavioural outcomes. Research limitations/implications One of the limitations encountered in this study involved the search in library databases published only in Thai and English. Due to the limitation of searching library databases included in the review that reported the effects and differences among the included studies. Moreover, the search included publications consisted of heterogeneous designs and purpose with reports of different types of outcomes made it impossible to compare effect sizes. Practical implications The knowledge gained can be used to design and implement effective sexual health promotion programmes for early adolescents. Moreover, the findings can be applied as a guideline for health provider working in a schools, communities and adolescent health services. Recommendations for future studies are needed to consider methodological and substantive characteristics as well as the people who are involved in youth sexual health outcomes. Social implications It is necessary for government to develop a policy for encouraging parents to be aware and participate in solving the problems. Originality/value The review indicated that the positive effects of parental involvement and technology media as a programme material on the psychosocial and behavioural outcomes.

Download Full-text

Sexual risk behaviours and sexual health outcomes among heterosexual black Caribbeans: comparing sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees and national probability survey respondents

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/ijsa.2010.010301 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 85-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

S M Gerver ◽

P J Easterbrook ◽

M Anderson ◽

I Solarin ◽

G Elam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Sexually Transmitted Infection ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Transmitted Infection ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours ◽

Infection Clinic

Download Full-text

Sexual risk behaviour and its correlates among adolescents in Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Timor-Leste: results from national school surveys in 2015

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2019-0230 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Karl Peltzer ◽

Supa Pengpid

Keyword(s):

Sexual Risk ◽

Sexuality Education ◽

Scale Up ◽

Risk Behaviour ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Multiple Sexual Partners ◽

Timor Leste ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours

AbstractObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of sexual risk behaviours among adolescents in four Southeast Asian countries.MethodsIn the cross-sectional “Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)”, 24,423 adolescents (mean age 14.1 years, SD=1.7) from Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Timor-Leste responded to a questionnaire in 2015.ResultsOverall, 8.5% of the students (11.0% males and 6.3% females) ever had sex, ranging from 5.3% in Indonesia to 26.4% in Timor-Leste. Among the sexually active, 49.3% (55.9% males and 36.8% females) had their first sexual intercourse before the age 14 years, ranging from 16.1% in Laos to 73.9% in Indonesia, 59.7% (62.6% males and 53.5% females) had multiple sexual partners, ranging from 55.5% in Timor-Leste to 63.4% in Indonesia, 46.9% (46.8% males and 46.5% females) did not use a condom at last sex, ranging from 37.0% in Thailand to 65.3% in Indonesia, 49.8% (53.7% males and 43.7% females) had not used or did not know of the use of birth control at last sex, ranging from 40.6% in Thailand to 61.5% in Timor-Leste, and 54.2% (54.9% males and 47.0% females) engaged in multiple sexual risk behaviour, ranging from 45.9% in Laos to 78.0% in Indonesia. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex, older age, food insecurity, tobacco use, alcohol use, ever cannabis and/or amphetamine use, psychological distress, and school truancy were associated with two or more and/or multiple sexual risk behaviours.ConclusionsA high proportion of students engaged in various sexual risk behaviours calling for a scale up comprehensive sexuality education and integration of substance use and mental health into such intervention programmes in this adolescent school population.

Download Full-text

Understand Sexual Risk Behaviours in Young Adults and Challenges in their Education

Qualitative Research in Education ◽

10.17583/qre.2021.6996 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 172

Author(s):

Laura Alonso-Martínez ◽

María Fernández-Hawrylak ◽

Davinia Heras-Sevilla ◽

Delfín Ortega-Sánchez

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Sexuality Education ◽

Risk Behaviour ◽

Well Being ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Educational Approach ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours

Sexual risk behaviours are considered sexual conducts that can cause biological, psychological and social damage. Therefore, sexuality education is considered the only effective way to avoid it. This project aims to understand sexual risk behaviour factors and their consequences in young adults and to explore strategies they would use to face them. To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative study in which we interviewed 11 young adults using an asynchronous mail technique due to the Covid19 pandemic. We also carried out a thematic analysis and developed our key results: 1) Sexual attitudes and behaviours; 2) Sexual risk factors, 3) Sexual risk consequences; and 4) Educational approach and strategies. Similarities in the themes were verified with previous literature, exposing the importance of learning to identify factors and consequences to respond appropriately. Participants believe that comprehensive and egalitarian sexuality education applied at individual and community level is a solid method that can improve sexual health and well-being. To conclude, this study reveals the importance of listening to young adults’ perspectives towards these conduct variables and educational approaches in order to establish global health strategies that could be based on these results.

Download Full-text

Ethnicity and sexual risk in heterosexual people attending sexual health clinics in England: a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

10.1136/sextrans-2017-053308 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 94 (5) ◽

pp. 384-391 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rachel Margaret Coyle ◽

Ada Rose Miltz ◽

Fiona C Lampe ◽

Janey Sewell ◽

Andrew N Phillips ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Health ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Caribbean Women ◽

White Ethnic ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours

ObjectivesIn the UK, people of black ethnicity experience a disproportionate burden of HIV and STI. We aimed to assess the association of ethnicity with sexual behaviour and sexual health among women and heterosexual men attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England.MethodsThe Attitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV is a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study of HIV negative people recruited from 20 GUM clinics in England, 2013–2014. Modified Poisson regression with robust SEs was used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the association between ethnicity and various sexual risk behaviours, adjusted for age, study region, education and relationship status.ResultsQuestionnaires were completed by 1146 individuals, 676 women and 470 heterosexual men. Ethnicity was recorded for 1131 (98.8%) participants: 550 (48.6%) black/mixed African, 168 (14.9%) black/mixed Caribbean, 308 (27.2%) white ethnic groups, 105 (9.3%) other ethnicity. Compared with women from white ethnic groups, black/mixed African women were less likely to report condomless sex with a non-regular partner (aPR (95% CI) 0.67 (0.51 to 0.88)), black/mixed African and black/mixed Caribbean women were less likely to report two or more new partners (0.42 (0.32 to 0.55) and 0.44 (0.29 to 0.65), respectively), and black/mixed Caribbean women were more likely to report an STI diagnosis (1.56 (1.00 to 2.42)). Compared with men from white ethnic groups, black/mixed Caribbean men were more likely to report an STI diagnosis (1.91 (1.20 to 3.04)), but did not report risk behaviours more frequently. Men and women of black/mixed Caribbean ethnicity remained more likely to report STI history after adjustment for sexual risk behaviours.DiscussionRisk behaviours were reported less frequently by women of black ethnicity; however, history of STI was more prevalent among black/mixed Caribbean women. In black/mixed Caribbean men, higher STI history was not explained by ethnic variation in reported risk behaviours. The association between STI and black/mixed Caribbean ethnicity remained after adjustment for risk behaviours.

Download Full-text

Childhood sexual abuse among girls and determinants of sexual risk behaviours in adult life in sub-Saharan Africa

Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research ◽

10.1108/jacpr-04-2014-0121 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 67-75

Author(s):

Ismail Yahaya ◽

Antonio Ponce De Leon ◽

Olalekan A. Uthman ◽

Joaquim J. F. Soares ◽

Gloria Macassa

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Cigarette Use ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between child sexual abuse and sexual risk behaviours as well as its potential mediators. Design/methodology/approach – This cross-sectional study used data from a cross-sectional study from 12,800 women between 15 and 49 years of age included in the 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to assess the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and sexual risk behaviours. Findings – The authors found that CSA was directly associated with sexual risk behaviours. In addition, the association between CSA and sexual risk behaviour was also partially mediated by alcohol and cigarette use. Research limitations/implications – The results show that being abused in childhood is important for the subsequent development of sexual risk behaviours in adulthood and the association is mediated by alcohol and cigarette use. Practical implications – The results may be helpful for policy makers and health care planners in designing cultural sensitive public health intervention that will reduce the burden of CSA, its long-term effects (sexual risk behaviours) and intervening mediators that increase the risks. Social implications – These findings suggest that to reduce sexual risks, interventions to address sexual abuse needs to include other social problems (smoking, alcohol) that victims result to when faced with trauma. Originality/value – The current study is the only one so far in sub-Saharan Africa to have explored the relation between CSA and sexual risk behaviours using SEM.

Download Full-text

Household structure and its association with sexual risk behaviours and sexual health outcomes: evidence from a British probability sample survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024255 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. e024255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tyrone J Curtis ◽

Nigel Field ◽

Soazig Clifton ◽

Catherine H Mercer

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Sexual Risk ◽

Young Women ◽

Household Structure ◽

Living Alone ◽

Sample Survey ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviours ◽

Sexual Healthcare

ObjectivesEconomic and social changes over the last 20 years have led to changes in the living situations of young people in Britain. A person’s home-life context might influence their sexual behaviour, with implications for their sexual healthcare needs; we investigated this hypothesis.MethodsBritain’s third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, a probability sample survey undertaken in 2010–2012, interviewed 15 162 men and women aged 16–74 years in Britain (with 3869 aged 16–24 years). We examined household structure by gender and age group. We then focused on sexually experienced young people (aged 16–24 years), and used multivariable models to explore associations between household structure, sexual risk behaviours and sexual health outcomes, independent of confounders including age, relationship status, employment and area of residence.ResultsYoung people were most likely to be living with parents (women 57.1% (95% CI 54.5% to 59.6%) and men 68.7% (95% CI 65.4% to 71.8%)) or non-relatives (women 10.5% (95% CI 8.5% to 12.9%) and men 12.6% (95% CI 10.1% to 15.6%)). Among the 81.3% of young people who were sexually experienced, compared with young women living with parents (reference category), young women living alone or with non-relatives had a higher likelihood of reporting ≥2 sexual partners (adjusted OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.31); 1.76 (95% CI 1.03 to 3.00), respectively). Women living alone were also more likely to have had unsafe sex (2.04 (95% CI 1.38 to 3.02)). Despite these differences in sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk, there was no difference in sexual healthcare-seeking behaviour. Young men and women living with partners reported lower levels of sexual risk behaviours.ConclusionsOur study suggests household structure may influence the sexual behaviour of young people in Britain. Given changes in their living arrangements, the role of household structure in sexual health research should be further investigated, and also considered as a possible marker for STI risk in clinical consultations.

Download Full-text