Education on sexually transmitted infections: finding common ground among youth, parents, providers and policy advocates

Abstract

Outcomes from sex education are shaped not only by the knowledge and attitudes of youth but also by groups influential in young people's lives. American youth bear one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the industrialized world. Four constituencies with important roles in communicating about STIs are youth, parents, healthcare providers and policy advocates of sex education. This paper aims to understand the attitudes held by these key groups and to ascertain common ground. Eight focus groups were conducted with: youth 15–23 years old (n = 20), parents of youth 10–19 years old (n = 18), healthcare providers (n = 17), and advocates working with national policymakers (n = 6). Participants discussed the issue of STIs in youth within both individual and societal contexts: the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of individual youth – Ignorance, Exploration, Peer Pressure, Denial, and Indifference; and the influence of segments of society that could affect decisions by youth – Sex is a taboo topic, Reluctant communication by parents, Restricted school education, Limited communication by doctors, Poor role models, and Missing information in media. Understanding the groups' common ground of individual and societal contexts may provide a foundation for more effective sex education.

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the William T. Grant Foundation. The author would like to thank Jane D. Brown, MA, PhD, for her insightful comments and Shellie Tyrrell, MSW, MPH, for leading the focus group discussions.