Bhutanese trainee teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about sex and sexual health: exploring the impact of intervention programmes

ABSTRACT

Sex and sexual health remain taboo topics in Bhutan. Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) are still associated with social stigma, embarrassment and denial, and knowledge of sexual health among young people does not equate to safer practice. This study employed longitudinal survey method to explore the level of trainee teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about sex and sexual health at the beginning (2015 – baseline) and end (2018 – post-intervention) of a four-year training programme delivered in the two teacher training colleges in Bhutan. Data were collected using a self-administered survey questionnaire (baseline, n = 380 and post-intervention, n = 350) focused on knowledge about sex and sexual health, attitudes towards sex and sexual health, and sex and sexual health behaviour/practices of the trainee teachers. Findings showed an overall general improvement in students’ knowledge, attitudes and practices after the introduction of a compulsory non-credited comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) module, the organisation of seminars, and the provision of health talks. However, there remain opportunities for further improvement. These include a further review of the CSE module, increased use of digital technology, and enhanced attention to social media. Findings have implications for a wide range of college students, not only trainee teachers, and not only for future work in Bhutan.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge
• attitudes
• practice
• sexual health
• trainee teachers
• Bhutan

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the UNFPA Bhutan [N/A].