Sexual health services and education: young people's experiences and preferences

Objective To examine young people’s requirements and perceptions of
sexual health services and educa tion in the context of their experience
of sexual relationships and knowledge of sexual health.
Design A questionnaire ba sed cohort study.
Setting Three hundred and sixty Year 11 students (aged 15–16 years)
surveyed in three Secondary Schools.
Method The study received ethica l approval from The North Wales
Central Ethics Committee. School nurses distributed questionnaires in
classroom conditions to all students present on the survey day.
Results Eighty-six per cent of the cohort responded. Those young people
who reported being sexually ac tive (153, 45 per cent) thought most
sexual educa tion topics should be taught around six months earlier than
non-sexually ac tive respondents. Of those acc essing sexual health services,
90 per cent were happy with the services received, however, only
44 per cent of sexually ac tive males and 76 per cent of sexually ac tive
females had sought advice. That clinics had a ‘friendly atmosphere and
staff easy to talk to’ ranked highest and ‘only people of your own age
using the clinic’ ranked lowest on a list of important features for a sexual
health clinic.
Conclusion Planners should consult young people and develop services