Young men are vulnerable when
it comes to sexual health. They attend the general practitioner (GP) less often
than females and are less likely to be offered testing for sexually
transmissible infections. Access to accurate health information and education is
a cornerstone of primary prevention, yet we know very little about how, where
and why young people obtain information about sexual health.
One-on-one semi-structured
interviews were conducted with 35 male students aged 16-19 years from two Victorian
educational institutions for trade skills until data saturation was reached.
Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.
- The young men were poorly
informed about sexual health.
- Their existing knowledge mainly came from
school-based sexual health education, which while valued, was generally poorly
recalled and provided only a narrow scope of physiological information.
- Young
men seek sexual health information from various sources including family, the
Internet, friends and pornography, with information from the latter three
sources perceived as unreliable.
- GPs were seen as a source of trust-worthy
information but were not accessed for this purpose due to embarrassment.
- Young
men preferred the GP to initiate such conversations.
- A desire for privacy and
avoidance of embarrassment heavily influenced young men's preferences and
behaviours in relation to sexual health information seeking.
The current available sources
of sexual health information for young men are failing to meet their needs.
Results identify potential improvements to school-based sexual education and
online resources, and describe a need for innovative technology-based sources
of sexual health education.
