Sexual health perceptions among first-year students at a British university

Jaspal, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8463-9519, 2020. Sexual health perceptions among first-year students at a British university. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 15 (2), pp. 158-179. ISSN 1554-6128

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Abstract

First-year undergraduate students in the United Kingdom undergo significant change in their lives as they embark upon their university experience. They may be exposed to various social and psychological factors that increase their risk of poor sexual health. Indeed, epidemiological data suggest that young people (including students) face sexual health inequalities compared to the general population. People’s perceptions are key to understanding their behavior. This study explores the sexual health perceptions of a group of first-year students at a British university. Sixteen heterosexual students were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed three content categories: (1) sexual freedom and exploration at university, (2) university environmental sexual risk factors, and (3) stigma as a barrier to sexual health. These risk factors can undermine sexual health outcomes in students in the long term and should, therefore, be considered in sexual health education programs for university students in the United Kingdom. It is argued that the incorporation of social and psychological factors into such programs will lead to more effective sexual health promotion in this high-risk population.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	American Journal of Sexuality Education
Creators:	Jaspal, R.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Date:	2020
Volume:	15
Number:	2
ISSN:	1554-6128
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/15546128.2019.1701597 DOI 1313216 Other
Rights:	© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	02 Apr 2020 09:42
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2020 13:05
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39534

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