Young Men’s Perceptions about Sexual Health and Sexual Education: A Qualitative Study

Year 2023, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 593 - 599, 11.09.2023

Abdullah Beyhan , Ayşe Ergün

https://doi.org/10.33808/clinexphealthsci.1092854

Abstract

Objective: For healthy sexuality and effective sexual health education, it is important to know the sexual health perception of individuals, their sexual education needs, and the affecting factors. The purpose of this research is to learn in-depth the perceptions of young men about sexual health and sexual education.
Methods: This study was carried out in a health vocational school of a foundation university. The study was constituted using an in-depth interview method, and interviews were conducted with 16 students, 2 of whom were pilots. Content analysis was used to assess the obtained data.
Results: Sexual education with sexual behavior and health were determined as the main themes. The male students indicated level of sexual knowledge was insufficient, and they needed to receive comprehensive sexual education from a qualified specialist. In addition, they stated that education should be given to men and women separately, and in small groups. It was also found that friends,
religious and cultural values were important factors in sexual knowledge and behavior.
Conclusion: As a result, it has been revealed that male university students need sexual education, and the correct information can only be learned through a comprehensive and socio-cultural norms-sensitive education.

Keywords

Young men, perceptions, sexual health, sexual education

References

• Maataoui SL, Hardwick JS, Lundquist TS. Creating space for relationships. Psychol Serv. 2017;14(3):347-351. DOI:10.1037/ser0000179
• WHO. Comprehensive cervical cancer control: a guide to essential practice, 2nd ed. Switzerland: World Health Organization. Published [2014]. Accessed [01 March 2022] [Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/144785
• WHO. Developing sexual health programmes: a framework for action. Published [2010]. Accessed [01 March 2022] [Available from: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/sexual_health/rhr_hrp_10_22/en/.
• Esin A, Mihciokur S, Demir C, Kanal G. Türkiye’de Cinsel Sağlık ve Üreme Sağlığı Durum Analizi Raporu. İstanbul: Cinsel Sağlık & Üreme Sağlığı Hakları Platformu; 2021. (Turkish)
• Jamaluddin Z, Abd Manaf A, Sayuti R, Md Zain R, Ahmad A. Sexuality and sources of information: A study of unwed teenage mother's in women's shelter in Malaysia. International J Acad Res Bus Soc Sci. 2018;8(11):67-75. DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i11/4885
• Bailey J, Mann S, Wayal S, Hunter R, Free C, Abraham C, Murray E. Sexual health promotion for young people delivered via digital media: A scoping review. J Public Health Res. 2015;3(13):1-119. DOI: 10.3310/phr03130.
• Livingstone S, Mason J. Sexual rights and sexual risks among youth online. London School of Economics and Political Science, commissioned by the European NGO alliance for child safety online (ENACSO); 2015.
• Martin N, Baralt L, Garrido-Ortega C. What’s religion got to do with it? Exploring college students’ sexual and reproductive health knowledge and awareness of sexual and reproductive health services in relation to their gender and religiosity. J Relig Health. 2018;57(5):1856-1875. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0432-y
• Rahimi-Naghani S, Merghati-Khoei E, Shahbazi M, Khalajabadi Farahani F, Motamedi M, Salehi M, Karimi M, Hajebi A. Sexual and reproductive health knowledge among men and women aged 15 to 49 years in metropolitan Tehran. J Sex Res. 2016;53(9):1153-1164. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1148110
• Güner Ö, Çelik N, Ertem G. Evli erkeklerin cinsel yolla bulaşan hastalıklar hakkındaki bilgi düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Gaziantep Med J. 2016;22(4):202-208. DOI: 10.5152/EurJTher.2016.02020 (Turkish)
• Orchowski LM, Edwards KM, Hollander JA, Banyard VL, Senn CY, Gidycz CA. Integrating sexual assault resistance, bystander, and men’s social norms strategies to prevent sexual violence on college campuses: A call to action. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2020;21(4):811-827. DOI: 10.1177/1524838018789153
• Oğul Z. Adolesan ve gençlerde cinsel sağlık üreme sağlığı: Etkileyen faktörler ve sorunlar. Kadın Sağlığı Hemşireliği Dergisi 2021;7(2):149-165.( Turkish)
• Baser DA, Aksoy H, Fidancı I, Dağcıoğlu K, Cankurtaran M, Arslan TK, Yağlı ZN. Genç erişkin erkeklerin kontrasepsiyon yöntemleri kullanım durumları ve etki eden faktörlerin değerlendirilmesi. J Turk Fam Physician. 2020;11(4):159-170. DOI: 10.15511/tjtfp.20.00459 (Turkish)
• Braun V, Clarke V. Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. London: Sage; 2013.
• Creswell JW, Creswell JD. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 4th ed. London:Sage; 2014.
• Fusch PI, Ness LR. Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. Qual Rep. 2015;20(9):1408-1416.DOI: 10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2281
• Yıldırım A, Şimşek H. Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma. 12nd ed. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık; 2018. (Turkish)
• Tracy SJ. Qualitative research methods: collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact: John Wiley & Sons; 2019.
• Hay I, Cope M. Qualitative research methods in human geography. 5th ed. Canada: Oxford University Press; 2021.
• WHO. WHO recommendations on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights [Available from: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/adolescent-srhr-who-recommendations/en/. Published [2018]. Accessed [05 March 2022]
• Okechi OS. The indigenous concept of sexuality in African tradition and globalization. Glob J Reprod Med. 2018;6(1):1-5. DOI: 10.19080/GJORM.2018.06.555676
• Evcili F, Gölbaşı Z. Sexual myths and sexual health knowledge levels of Turkish university students. Sex Cult. 2017;21(4):976-990. DOI:10.1007/s12119-017-9436-8
• Ünal Toprak F, Turan Z. The effect of sexual health courses on the level of nursing students' sexual/reproductive health knowledge and sexual myths beliefs in Turkey: A pretest‐posttest control group design. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2021;57(2):667-674. DOI: 10.1111/ppc.12593
• Bauer M, Haesler E, Fetherstonhaugh D. Let's talk about sex: Older people's views on the recognition of sexuality and sexual health in the health‐care setting. Health Expect. 2016;19(6):1237-1250. DOI: 10.1111/hex.12418
• Irani M, Latifnejad Roudsari R. Reproductive and sexual health consequences of child marriage: A review of literature. J Midwifery Reprod Health. 2019;7(1):1584-1590. DOI: 10.22038/jmrh.2018.31627.1342
• Khalesi ZB, Simbar M, Azin SA. A qualitative study of sexual health education among Iranian engaged couples. Afr Health Sci. 2017;17(2):382-390. DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v17i2.12
• Gardner EA. Abstinence-only sex education: College students’ evaluations and responses. Am J Sex Educ. 2015;10(2):125-139. DOI: 10.1080/15546128.2015.1015760
• Traeen B, Štulhofer A, Jurin T, Hald GM. Seventy-five years old and still going strong: Stability and change in sexual interest and sexual enjoyment in elderly men and women across Europe. Int J Sex Health. 2018;30(4):323-336. DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2018.1472704
• WHO. Sexual health and its linkages to reproductive health: An operational approach [Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/258738/9789241512886-eng.pdf. Published [2017]. Accessed [01 March 2022]
• Sun WH, Miu HYH, Wong CKH, Tucker JD, Wong WCW. Assessing participation and effectiveness of the peer-led approach in youth sexual health education: Systematic review and meta-analysis in more developed countries. J Sex Res. 2018;55(1):31-44. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1247779
• Kassa GM, Arowojolu A, Odukogbe A, Yalew AW. Prevalence and determinants of adolescent pregnancy in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Reprod Health. 2018;15(1):1-17. DOI: 10.1186/s12978-018-0640-2
• Crisp N, Iro E. Nursing Now campaign: Raising the status of nurses. Lancet. 2018;391(10124):920-921. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30494-X
• Sanjakdar F. ‘Teacher talk’: The problems, perspectives and possibilities of developing a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum for Australian Muslim students. Sex Educ. 2009;9(3):261-275. DOI: 10.1080/14681810903059086
• Sani GMD, Quaranta M. The best is yet to come? Attitudes toward gender roles among adolescents in 36 countries. Sex Roles. 2017;77(1):30-45. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-016-0698-7
• Kogan I, Weißmann M. Religion and sexuality: Between-and within-individual differences in attitudes to pre-marital cohabitation among adolescents in four European countries. J Ethn Migration Stud. 2020;46(17):3630-3654. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2019.1620416
• Giletta M, Choukas-Bradley S, Maes M, Linthicum KP, Card NA, Prinstein MJ. A meta-analysis of longitudinal peer influence effects in childhood and adolescence. Psychol Bull. 2021;147(7):719-747. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000329
• Vannucci A, Simpson EG, Gagnon S, Ohannessian CM. Social media use and risky behaviors in adolescents: A meta-analysis. J Adolesc. 2020;79:258-274. DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.01.014
• Inanc H, Meckstroth A, Keating B, Adamek K, Zaveri H, McDonald K, Ochoa L. Factors Influencing Youth Sexual Activity: Conceptual Models for Sexual Risk Avoidance and Cessation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2020.
• UNDP. Human development reports. United Nation Development Programme; 2020.
• Eşsizoğlu A, Yasan A, Yıldırım EA, Gürgen F, Özkan M. Double standard for traditional value of virginity and premarital sexuality in Turkey: A university students case. Women Health. 2011;51(2):136-150. DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2011.553157
• Stuart GS, Grimes DA. Social desirability bias in family planning studies: A neglected problem. Contracept. 2009;80(2):108-112. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2009.02.009
• King BM. The influence of social desirability on sexual behavior surveys: A review. Arch Sex Behav. 2022:1-7. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02197-0
• Blithe SJ, Wolfe AW, Mohr B. Sex and stigma: Stories of everyday life in Nevada’s legal brothels: NYU Press; 2019.
• WHO. Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes [Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/populations/sex-workers. Published [2021]. Accessed [07 April 2022]
• Awobamise A, Jarrar Y, Nnauuife S. Social media, sexual harassment and rape discourse in Nigeria: An exploratory study. Religación. 2019;4(18):199-209.