Sexual health education issues (challenges) for adolescent boys in Iran: A qualitative study
نویسندگان
1 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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3 Department of Curriculum Studies and Instruction, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
4 Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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چکیده
BACKGROUND: Sexual health education, especially in adolescents, faces excess challenges inmany cultures. Iranian adolescents, especially boys, have many educational needs in the field ofsexual health that have not been met due to various obstacles. The main purpose of this qualitativestudy was to explore the challenges of sexual health education for Iranian adolescent boys.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted throughindividual semi‑structured in‑depth interviews from 45 participants (20 adolescents and 25 keyadults). Data were analyzed using inductive conventional content analysis based on the Graneheimand Lundman’s approach via MAXQDA software (version 2010) by VERBI GmbH Company, Berlin,Germany.RESULTS: In total, 2 categories and 11 subcategories emerged; including, “extrapersonal barriersto sexual health education for adolescent boys” containing seven subcategories of lack of clearpolicies, family inadequacy, social barriers, cultural heterogeneity, school inadequacy, cyber threats,and educational process inadequacy concerning adolescent sexual health education as well as“intrapersonal barriers to sexual health education for adolescent boys” comprised four subcategoriesof uncontrolled emotions of adolescence, adolescent rebellion, information and communicationweaknesses, and adolescents’ concerns about being judged by others.CONCLUSION: The findings clarify some barriers to sexual health education for adolescent boys.Therefore, it was recommended to develop community‑based educational programs to changeattitudes of families and society toward addressing the challenges of providing sexual healtheducation to adolescent boys. Moreover, it was suggested to utilize an educational program specificto adolescent boys, tailored to the Iranian culture, using the potential of religion.
