Archives
 

What young people know, like and need: Consulting with Young People about Sexual Health

Project Description

As part of the HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis C and sexual health promotion with young people project (the Project) activities in 2008/09, FPQ set out to engage with young people to gather information about their knowledge, likes and needs regarding sexual and reproductive health and education services. Following a literature review and consultation with experts experienced in youth consultation, FPQ conducted informal focus groups with young people in locations where they naturally met enabling genuine opportunities to canvas a variety of views and opinions.

This process has contributed to FPQ's training delivery with the workforce, both among the Project's target groups and outside this group. This has included "workforce feedback events" held in Rockhampton, Ipswich and Logan and will be continued through the incorporation of results from the focus groups into FPQ's ongoing training for the youth and sexual health workforces.

Goal

To improve sexual health services for young people, by improving the content of training for the youth and sexual health sector workforces.

Objective

To develop a better awareness of the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people in Queensland by incorporating current information and the importance of engaging with young people, into professional training delivered by FPQ.

Participation Method

A total of 200 young people (110 male, 90 female) have taken part in these focus groups including high school students; alternative education students; young people in work skills programs; TAFE students; young parents; young people with a disability; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) young people and young people who have been in contact with the juvenile justice system. These groups also included young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

Focus groups were conducted in locations where the young people naturally met. This meant that young people who were already accessing services took part in the focus groups. A staff memeber from these services was also present if follow up with the young people after the focus groups was necessary. All young people were provided with refreshments during the focus groups and were given information on sexual and reproductive health to take away.

Focus groups were informal with a series of initial questions and a variety of follow-up prompts depending on initial responses. These questions were developed with input from local service providers, the funding body and several young people.

Results

Focus Groups

The young people who took part in the focus groups were very responsive and enthusiastic. It appealed to them that 'they were educating us' and several expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have their say. Some offered to be involved in future events to communicate their issues to service providers. In response to the specific questions asked of the groups, the young people said:

What young people know:

  • Correctly identified many STIs: HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, Genital herpes, Genital warts, Pubic lice (crabs), Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Scabies
  • Incorrectly identified: hepatitis A and C as STIs
  • Some slang names were used: the clap and VD
  • The majority of the young people identified condoms as preventing STIs
  • “Only have sex with people who look clean, not rotten”

When asked about condoms:

  • "Personally as a female I think that it would just feel dirty for the guy not to wear one"
  • "Safety - preventing STIs and unplanned pregnancy"
  • "Some agree as it prevents pregnancy and STDs"
  • Other comments were made about not getting a lot of information about how to use condoms or where to get them
  • Embarrassing to buy and put on in front of a partner
  • Annoying to keep buying
  • Many comments about feeling different, not liking the feel, reduced sensation, irritation, less pleasurable
  • Feels like a barrier between partners

Why young people are having sex:

  • It feels good ("better than gold", "it's da bomb")
  • Experiment
  • Hormones ("feel horny")
  • Drunk or high
  • Relationships- commitment, connection
  • Can be more than sex- someone to talk to, someone to hang out with

Why young people aren't having sex:

  • Don't want to have a baby
  • Religion/beliefs
  • Don't want to have sex until marriage
  • No one to have sex with
  • May not feel attractive (self conscious)
  • Want to find the right person
  • Focus on other stuff
  • Get life on track- stop drinking
  • Respect other person
  • Don't want STI

What makes a service seem friendly to young people?

  • Staff seem dedicated and enjoy their job
  • Staff seem happy and friendly (not crabby) but still professional and are good listeners
  • Staff who can relate to young people
  • Service is colourful and has age appropriate material in a waiting room

What would make a young person access a health service?

  • Having questions, curiosity, being unsure of sexuality, wanting to know about contraception choices
  • Other reasons included: peer pressure, STI scare/symptoms/concerns, pregnant, having being assaulted, new sexual partner
  • Easily accessible and little/ no cost
  • It makes you feel 'at home' and comfortable to do what you want

Do services treat young men and women differently?

  • "Yes, and they should because young men need to be told more about using condoms because a lot don't want to and wont bother."
  • "Yes, because men and women are very different so need to be taught different things"
  • "The services that are available are more orientated for women. Eg sexual assault clinics, pregnancy counselling. Need more services for men."
  • Men are more likely to bottle things up.
  • No men employed

Workforce Feedback Events

"Workforce feedback events" were held in Rockhampton, Ipswich and Logan and evaluation of these events revealed that the professionals who attended saw benefit to engaging young people and all left feeling confident or very confident about conducting youth participation events.

At the workshop workers were given the opportunity in a small group to reflect on what they had heard, what they were currently doing in their practice, and how they could incorporate what they had heard into their practice. They identified aspects of their practice that are currently youth friendly and ways they could do more.

Participants were asked to evaluate the workshop. Generally the theory and practice that were presented were scored as helpful, confidence was high at conducting similar events, workers were appreciative of the comments from young people; and most participants could identify how they would incorporate what they had heard into their work or site. This feedback by the workforce was provided to the young people that took part in the focus groups

Partnership Development

Conducting the focus groups and workforce feedback events has enabled FPQ to work in partnership with several local youth agencies. These agencies have expressed a desire to work together with FPQ on future projects, and in several cases, have sought training for their staff on sexual health issues.

This outcome is especially significant as in these regions FPQ had quite limited networks in the local youth sector before this project. In addition, both areas have a higher than average youth population and higher than average levels of relative disadvantage. Thus, the opportunity to develop partnerships which will lead to future collaborative work is advantageous to the project's and FPQ's future objectives.

Conclusion

Two hundred young people were engaged to gather information about their knowledge, likes and needs regarding sexual and reproductive health and education services. This process has increased the skill and awareness of FPQ when working with young people, as well as in the provision of training for professionals in the field. The young people engaged were from quite diverse backgrounds and similar results were obtained from the various groups, suggesting that many of these issues cross boundaries of gender, race and sexual orientation.