Go Back Research Article January, 2015

Discovering Sexual Health Conversations Between Adolescents and Youth Development Professionals

Author James Dennis Fortenberry Author Niodita Gupta Author Aja Kneip Pelster

Abstract

Youth development professionals (YDPs) working at community-based organizations are in a unique position to interact with the adolescents because they are neither parents/guardians nor teachers. The objectives of this study were to explore qualitatively what sexual health issues adolescents discuss with YDPs and to describe those issues using the framework of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) comprehensive sexuality education guidelines. YDPs reported conversations with adolescents that included topics related to the SIECUS key concepts of human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, and sexual health.

Keywords

siecus adolescents conversations sexual health sexuality youth development professionals comprehensive sexuality education adolescent health community-based organizations youth counseling sexuality discussions health communication sexual health education informal health mentors youth support services non-parent adult mentors relationship education sexual risk reduction safe spaces for adolescents health literacy reproductive health education sti prevention contraceptive counseling peer influence on sexual health adolescent decision-making youth advocacy sexual well-being public health interventions adolescent risk behaviors social determinants of sexual health trusted adults in sexual education
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Details
Volume 10
Issue 1
Pages 21–39
DOI 10.1080/15546128.2015.1009596
ISSN 1554-6136
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