SMS for sexual health: A comparison of service types and recommendations for sexual health text message service providers

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Fitts Willoughby ◽  
Adrienne Muldrow
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Message Service

Objectives: Text message–based interventions may provide sexual health information to young people through a number of service types, from sending information on a regularly scheduled timeline, to providing an automated menu, to allowing young people to connect directly with health educators. While such service types exist, it is not clear which features young adults feel are most effective at allowing them to engage with sexual health information. Design: This study used a mixed-methods design (survey and focus groups) to assess perceptions of three types of sexual health text message services with young adults, a population particularly at risk of negative sexual health outcomes. Setting: College students from the US Pacific Northwest participated in the project. Method: Participants heard about three sexual health text message services, completed questionnaires and discussed each type. Focus groups were gender-separated. Results: Participants reported that services that allowed them to connect with a health educator would be highly useful, but automated services would be beneficial in bringing new topics to their attention. Participants perceived the purpose of the service types as different and felt each could be a useful resource, depending on the situation. Regardless of service type, participants wanted to personalise their experience. Participants wanted messages tailored to them and options to interact with the systems, from influencing topic selection to message timing. Conclusion: Each of the service types can be useful for young adults. Young adults perceive services that provide the opportunity to tailor information and interact with the system as beneficial.

The “Be All and End All”? Young People, Online Sexual Health Information, Science and Skepticism

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110035
Author(s):  
Adrian Farrugia ◽  
Andrea Waling ◽  
Kiran Pienaar ◽  
Suzanne Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Science Society ◽  
Online Sources

In this article, we investigate young people’s trust in online sexual health resources. Analyzing interviews with 37 young people in Australia using Irwin and Michael’s account of science–society relations and Warner’s conceptualization of “publics,” we explore the processes by which they assess the credibility of online sexual health information. We suggest that when seeking medical information, young people opt for traditionally authoritative online sources that purport to offer “facts.” By contrast, when seeking information about relationships or sexual practices, participants indicated a preference for websites presenting “experiences” rather than or as well as “facts.” Regardless of content, however, our participants approached online sexual health information skeptically and used various techniques to appraise its quality and trustworthiness. We argue that these young people are productively understood as a skeptical public of sexual health. We conclude by exploring the implications of our analysis for the provision of online sexual health information.

Sexual Experiences and Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 074355842110282
Author(s):  
Elizabeth K. Schmidt ◽  
Megan Dougherty ◽  
Natalie Robek ◽  
Lindy Weaver ◽  
Amy R. Darragh
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Sexual Education ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Sexual Experiences ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Sexual Health Information

The purpose of this study is to understand the sexual experiences and perspectives of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with intellectual or developmental disabilities, how they are receiving sexual education, and how sexual education can be tailored to their needs. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured focus groups and interviews with eight AYA with intellectual or developmental disabilities from January 14 to May 7, 2019. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Participants reported a diverse range of sexual experiences and an interest in marriage and parenting in the future. Two themes emerged for how AYA are learning about sexual health information: through formal (school, doctors’ visits, or from caregivers) and informal education (peers, siblings, self-exploration, or Pop Culture). Sexual education can be tailored to this population by addressing educational gaps (pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, intimacy, and sexual activity) and by implementing specific participant recommendations (proactive, inclusive education with real-life examples). With a growing emphasis on disability rights to sexual education among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, it is vital to understand AYA’s experiences, perspectives, and current understanding of sexual health information so that we can design a program specifically tailored to meet their unique needs.

Making epistemic citizens: Young people and the search for reliable and credible sexual health information

2021 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
pp. 113817
Author(s):  
Suzanne Fraser ◽  
David Moore ◽  
Andrea Waling ◽  
Adrian Farrugia
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Sexual Health Information

scholarly journals Good sex matters: Pleasure as a driver of online sex education for young people

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1480
Author(s):  
Lindsay van Clief ◽  
Elianne Anemaat
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
New Media ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Positive Approach ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
The Difference

Background There are few documented examples of online sex education platforms that make an impact on young people’s sexual health and wellbeing, yet research shows that new media has enormous potential to be harnessed in this way. The same is true for a pleasure-positive approach to sex education curricula and programmes. This research provides empirical evidence from the Love Matters' websites in Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and India to highlight the prevalence and importance of talking about pleasure-related topics with young people. Methodology Love Matters is an online sex education platform targeting seven countries and attracting 30 million website visits in 2018. We analysed data through Google Analytics to explore the difference between sex education-focused content and pleasure-focused content and how young people engage with different types of sexual health information on the Love Matters platforms. Results Pleasure-focused content is 1.5 times more popular than sex education-focused content across all platforms. However, education-focused content attracts more organic traffic, suggesting young people purposefully search for sexual health information online. Users generally spend longer on the site engaging with sex education-focused content than pleasure-focused content. Conclusion This research provides empirical evidence from five countries in the Global South to support the notion that young people are actively looking for sexual health information that covers the full scope of sexual experience and pleasure, including – but not limited to – the reduction of health risks. This paper furthers the efforts to adopt a pleasure-positive approach to both online and offline sex education interventions.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Sexual Health Behaviors of Black Male Adolescents and Young Adults Through Social Media Platforms: Web-Based Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Burns ◽  
Keith Johnstone ◽  
Tanaka Chavanduka ◽  
Cornelius Jamison ◽  
Valery Pena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which have millions of users who interact and communicate every day, have been effective in promoting sexual health interventions and in disseminating reproductive health education. They have also been shown to be useful in health promotion and have been used to track several key metrics (eg, comments, posts) among users of all demographics. However, there is a lack of research on the impact and reach of these social media platforms as a community-based tool for disseminating sexual health information and for increasing engagement among Black adolescents and young adults, which is a targeted high-risk population. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the social media platforms and banner advertisements that affected engagement among Black male adolescents and young adults in participating in web-based health surveys. METHODS A web-based survey was conducted from March 2019 to July 2019 to assess sexual health and health behaviors in a convenience sample of Black male adolescents and young adults in the age range of 18-24 years (N=170). Social media metrics from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were monitored. This cross-sectional survey comprised several categories, including basic personal information, drug-related risk behaviors, health care, sexual reproductive health questions, attitudes, norms, and perceived control, mental health, violence-related risk behaviors, and social media preferences. RESULTS Social media advertisements on the Black Male Opinion survey reached approximately 146,412 individuals. Our primary finding of the web-based survey engagement was that referral (eg, group chat, indirect social media sharing) led to as the greatest proportion of recruitment, with Twitter and YouTube as the preferred sites to receive sexual health information. CONCLUSIONS Recognizing the variety of technologies being used among Black male young adults and adolescents can help the community, researchers, and health care providers understand the web-based engagement of this high-risk population. This information may also promote culturally sensitive, customized marketing on sexual health information for this population.

Boundaries of sexual communication: a mixed-method study exploring Chinese young adults’ engagement with online sexual health information

Sexual Health ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Zhang ◽  
Chloe Nurik ◽  
John B. Jemmott
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Chinese Young Adults

Background: Although previous research suggests that a majority of Chinese young adults get sexual health information through the Internet, the details of this process and how it translates into subsequent actions are unknown. This study aims to understand the dynamic nature of Chinese young adults’ engagement with online sexual health information (OSHI) through various communication channels to inform the development of effective sexual health intervention strategies. Methods: A mixed-method approach was used, involving individual semi-structured interviews (n = 30) and cross-sectional online surveys (n = 561) with Chinese young adults aged 18 to 25 years. Qualitative themes and prevalence and predictors of engagement with OSHI were analysed. Results: Three themes emerged from the interviews: (1) problem-based searching; (2) multi-criteria evaluation; and (3) stigma of online sharing and discussion. After engaging with OSHI, 87.3% of the survey participants followed online advice on at least one occasion, and 54.9% discussed this information with others (mostly with partners and friends) offline. Having sexual intercourse in the past 3 months was a consistent predictor of engagement with OSHI (P < 0.05). Contrary to previous findings, participants with higher family income were more likely to engage with OSHI (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Chinese young adults obtain sexual health information from online sources when personal problems arise and then circulate this information offline within their peer networks. Although social media interventions have shown some promise, researchers should first increase risk awareness and be cautious about designing programs that promote online sharing or discussion. Finally, researchers need to make extra effort to target young adults with limited resources.

scholarly journals Good sex matters: Pleasure as a driver of online sex education for young people

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay van Clief ◽  
Elianne Anemaat
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
New Media ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Positive Approach ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
The Difference

Background There are few documented examples of online sex education platforms that make an impact on young people’s sexual health and wellbeing, yet research shows that new media has enormous potential to be harnessed in this way. The same is true for a pleasure-positive approach to sex education curricula and programmes. This research provides empirical evidence from the Love Matters' websites in Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and India to highlight the prevalence and importance of talking about pleasure-related topics with young people. Methodology Love Matters is an online sex education platform targeting seven countries and attracting 30 million website visits in 2018. We analysed data through Google Analytics to explore the difference between sex education-focused content and pleasure-focused content and how young people engage with different types of sexual health information on the Love Matters platforms. Results Pleasure-focused content is 1.5 times more popular than sex education-focused content across all platforms. However, education-focused content attracts more organic traffic, suggesting young people purposefully search for sexual health information online. Users generally spend longer on the site engaging with sex education-focused content than pleasure-focused content. Conclusion This research provides empirical evidence from five countries in the Global South to support the notion that young people are actively looking for sexual health information that covers the full scope of sexual experience and pleasure, including – but not limited to – the reduction of health risks. This paper furthers the efforts to adopt a pleasure-positive approach to both online and offline sex education interventions.

Everyone Has Questions

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Fitts Willoughby
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Health Educator ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Social Marketing Campaign ◽  
Message Service ◽  
Production Research ◽  
Promotional Messages ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Health Question

Text message services that provide sexual health information are increasingly popular, but often they are not promoted. This article describes the development of a social marketing campaign promoting a state-based sexual health text message service that allows teens to text a sexual health question directly to a trained health educator. Preproduction and production research using in-depth interviews and focus groups ( n = 35) conducted in the southeastern United States provided information on perceived benefits and barriers and teens’ perceptions. Teens were interested in the service and wanted to see relevant settings and relatable teens in advertisements. Teens said that the promotional messages needed to include clear instructions on how to use such a service, as teens were only somewhat familiar with the process of using such a system. Implications for promotion of similar services are discussed.

Online STI information seeking behaviour and condom use intentions among young Facebook users in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1116-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharina Mahavera Mohamad Shakir ◽  
Li Ping Wong ◽  
Khatijah Lim Abdullah ◽  
Phillipe Adam
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sti Prevention ◽  
Sexual Health Information

Abstract The Internet has opened pathways for youth to find sexual health information which was not easily available to them in the past. Studies have shown that seeking sexual health information online may potentially influence an individuals’ decision-making to change their sexual health behaviours. However, there is a gap in research on the associations of seeking online sexually transmitted infection (STI) information with STI prevention among young people, particularly in Malaysia. This study investigated the associations of seeking STI information online with the intentions of condom use among young adult online users in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Malaysian youth aged 18–25 years old who were recruited through Facebook. In total, 1530 respondents completed the survey, identifying 874 respondents who had sought STI information online. The majority of respondents had intentions to use condoms as protection against STI. Respondents who sought online STI information were significantly more likely to have the intention to use condoms compared to respondents who did not seek online STI information (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01–1.76, p = 0.040). Online STI information has the potential to increase access to STI information among young online users in Malaysia amid the stigma surrounding sex-related issues. Providing accurate STI information online from reliable sources may equip young people who have Internet access with awareness of sexual health protective behaviours such as condom use. It is recommended to facilitate Internet access to reach sectors of the population that currently do not have access, as the Internet is useful in STI prevention.

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