scholarly journals Seeking sexual health information? Professionals’ novel experiences of the barriers that prevent female adolescents seeking sexual health information

2017 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry McKellar ◽  
Linda Little ◽  
Michael A. Smith ◽  
Elizabeth Sillence
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Risky Sexual Behaviours

AbstractObjectiveSexual health professionals are key stakeholders in implementing sexual health intervention programmes, yet their views are largely absent from the literature. Sexual health professionals provide a unique perspective on teen sexual health issues as they engage in confidential discussions with a wide range of teenagers. This study aimed to provide an in-depth exploration of professionals’ perceptions of teenagers’ sexual health information seeking practices and barriers. Furthermore, the research provided a unique re-examination of key predictors of risky sexual behaviours, which have been highlighted by previous research.MethodsNine semi-structured interviews were undertaken with sexual health professionals to explore their perceptions of teenagers’ sexual health information seeking practises and barriers. Subsequently the professionals rank ordered the 57 factors identified in previous research in terms of their perceived importance in predicting risky sexual behaviours.ResultsFour themes emerged: “society and media”; “environment and family”; “peer influences”; and “the self”. The rank order task confirmed that 33 of the 57 factors were perceived as highly important by sexual health professionals.ConclusionSociety, peers, environment and family are perceived as barriers to teenagers seeking reliable sexual health information, but these are dependent on the individual person. An individual with higher self-esteem is more confident in seeking sexual health information and applying this knowledge appropriately. Self-esteem was also identified as a key perceived predictor of risky sexual behaviours. Therefore, there is scope for intervention programmes targeting self-esteem and knowledge, so teenagers have the confidence to seek out sexual health information and to make their own informed sexual health decisions.

Sexual Health Information Seeking Online

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua C. Magee ◽  
Louisa Bigelow ◽  
Samantha DeHaan ◽  
Brian S. Mustanski
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Sexual Health Information

Sexual health information seeking: a survey of adolescent practices

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (23-24) ◽  
pp. 3259-3269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Whitfield ◽  
Julie Jomeen ◽  
Mark Hayter ◽  
Eric Gardiner
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Sexual Health Information

scholarly journals The Role of Health Literacy and Social Networks in Arthritis Patients' Health Information-Seeking Behavior: A Qualitative Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janette Ellis ◽  
Judy Mullan ◽  
Anthony Worsley ◽  
Nagesh Pai
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Selection Of

Background. Patients engage in health information-seeking behaviour to maintain their wellbeing and to manage chronic diseases such as arthritis. Health literacy allows patients to understand available treatments and to critically appraise information they obtain from a wide range of sources. Aims. To explore how arthritis patients' health literacy affects engagement in arthritis-focused health information-seeking behaviour and the selection of sources of health information available through their informal social network. Methods. An exploratory, qualitative study consisting of one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Twenty participants with arthritis were recruited from community organizations. The interviews were designed to elicit participants' understanding about their arthritis and arthritis medication and to determine how the participants' health literacy informed selection of where they found information about their arthritis and pain medication. Results. Participants with low health literacy were less likely to be engaged with health information-seeking behaviour. Participants with intermediate health literacy were more likely to source arthritis-focused health information from newspapers, television, and within their informal social network. Those with high health literacy sourced information from the internet and specialist health sources and were providers of information within their informal social network. Conclusion. Health professionals need to be aware that levels of engagement in health information-seeking behaviour and sources of arthritis-focused health information may be related to their patients' health literacy.

Sexual health information-seeking behavior on a social media site: predictors of best answer selection

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 880-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Jeong Yi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Health Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Questions And Answers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify sexual health information needs and the cognitive and affective factors correlated with the best answer chosen by social Q&A users.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected questions and answers regarding sexual health information on a social Q&A site, and analyzed the questions and a paired sample composed of best and non-best answers (n=480).FindingsThe main information needs of consumers are human development, sexual behavior, and sexual health. Best answers are more likely to include both cognitive (higher level of readability, risky information, social norms) and affective factors (empathy, positive/negative feelings, and optimistic information) than non-best answers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study illuminates the roles of social Q&A as a unique platform to discuss sensitive health topics due to the fact that consumers use such social media sites as critical complementary health information sources.Practical implicationsIf health information providers develop information with the factors that the study suggests, not only will it be more adopted by consumers, but it will also ameliorate the quality concerns about online health information.Originality/valuePrevious studies only investigated the most prevalent factors, rather than the most effective ones, which have a greater influence on best answer selection. This study compares the best answers and the non-best answers to overcome the limitations of the previous studies. Above all, the study applied the persuasion concepts to address the cognitive and affective perspectives to the answer evaluations of social Q&A.

Use of a community sexual health information line

Sexual Health ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Vickie Knight ◽  
Kristie Hoskin ◽  
Kate Tribe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Sexual Health Information ◽  
Referral Service ◽  
Specific Community ◽  
Simplex Virus

Background: Since 1989 Sydney Sexual Health Centre has provided a community phone information line (PIL). The service aims to educate and promote the sexual health of the community and facilitate efficient use of the centre’s resources through the provision of information and advice to the community and health professionals; a referral service; and patient triage. In October 1997 a comprehensive computerised database was developed to collect caller information. In 2003, a 5-year review of the PIL database was undertaken with the express aim of describing the profile of people using the service. Methods: We analysed data from the PIL from 16 October 1997 to end 20 December 2002 using SPSS. Results: A total of 34 013 callers were in the PIL database. Every year the service has seen an increase in demand from 5295 calls in 1998 (first full year of service) to 8401 in 2002. The majority of callers lived in central and southeast Sydney geographical area, however, calls were registered from over 55% of postcodes in NSW and from interstate. The average caller age each year was 32 years with similar standard deviation and the distribution over time has not changed. There were equal numbers of male and female callers each year. Peak times for people to call the PIL were 2–4 pm with a high number of callers at 10 am. In general, calls were between 4 and 6 Min duration. Overall, 14 098 (41.4%) of calls in the database were for general sexual health information. The majority of the information callers over the period who have been calling about infections have called about herpes simplex virus. Conclusions: As is evident the PIL meets a specific community need. This study did not, however, look at patient outcomes and this area needs investigation to fully evaluate the benefits of a community PIL.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document