“They Didn’t Talk About Stuff like That”: Sexual Health Education Experiences of a Native American Tribe in the Gulf Coast

Abstract

Native American groups in the United States experience extensive sexual and reproductive health disparities. However, the sexual health education and communication experiences of Native American groups are understudied. Thirty-one interviews were conducted with Native American women in the United States’ Gulf Coast about their sexual and reproductive health experiences. Women reported the following themes: (a) Lack of Formal Sex Education; (b) Young Pregnancy; (c) Lack of Knowledge about HIV/STDs; (d) Lack of Communication about Menstruation; (e) Communication Experiences about Sexual and Reproductive Health; and (f) Stigma Around Discussing Sexual and Reproductive Topics. The findings of this research indicate that there are gaps in sexual health education and highlight the ways female tribal members act as health leaders in their communities.

Keywords:

• Indigenous
• women
• sexual health education
• menstruation
• sexual health communication

Ethical approval

Tribal Council approval (approved March, 2018) and Tulane University IRB approval (approved July 2018, ID: 2018-467-TU) was granted before beginning research.

Data availability statement

Data not available due to agreements made with tribal leaders.

Additional information

Funding

Funding came from “The Tulane School of Liberal Arts” and the “New Orleans Center for the Gulf South at Tulane University”.