Educating the Future: Enhancing Sexual and Reproductive Health Resources for Young Adults

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By: Patience Castleton, PhD Candidate at the Robinson Research Institute and the School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Australia; Salima Meherali, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing; Zohra Lassi, PhD, Associate Professor and NHMRC Emerging Leader-2 (EL2) Fellow at the Robinson Research Institute and the School of Public Health of the University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The World Health Organization acknowledges that access to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education is essential for the “health and survival” of adolescents and young adults (age 10-24 years). Studies consistently show that early exposure to SRH education, including topics around puberty, consent, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy, reduces risks from violence, exploitation, and abuse. However, millions of adolescents around the world go without this education every year, lacking the appropriate knowledge and skills to positively navigate their changing bodies and make informed decisions regarding their sexual activities.

Unfortunately, a 2018 study of 25 European countries found that only 10 had comprehensive sexual education in their school curricula. In 95% of these countries, sexual education focused mainly on HIV and STIs, whereas only 17% covered topics around sexual orientation and gender expression. This indicates that even when comprehensive SRH education is available, it likely does not encompass all important aspects of SRH vital to positive growth and development. Consequently, young adults may seek alternative resources for further SRH information, with many turning to the Internet as a source. Self-exploration of SRH information can be empowering and exceptionally positive for young adults’ health, well-being and self-perception. The freedom and privacy to explore these sensitive topics could result in a wider exploration of subjects and a deeper understanding and interest in the information found. However, the quick spread of misinformation online could negatively impact young adults understanding of certain SRH topics, particularly amongst those from vulnerable and diverse backgrounds. Therefore, we should not endorse online searching as the sole method of SRH education for young adults and should ensure that universal, appropriate, accurate and sensitive SRH information is available to all young adults.

Educational “toolkits”, such as the globally used Cervical Cancer Screening and HIV protection toolkits produced by the WHO are evidence-based resources that provide in-depth, comprehensive, and specific information to a group of individuals, such as health professionals, educators, or the general public. These educational resources are vital in encouraging young adults to seek their own resources and education. We must continually moderate and update their content to remain relevant and accurate for today’s young populations. Online SRH toolkits and other resources can play a pivotal role in helping young adults access and understand sensitive information that they may not receive in schools or at home. However, as aforementioned, it is essential that these resources are not damaging to any sexualities, cultures, beliefs or practices and that they provide only accurate, up-to-date and reliable information to our young generations. Therefore, a global scoping review was undertaken to understand the gaps and contents of the available toolkits targeting young adults’ and adolescents’ SRH. The review revealed the following key findings:

Gaps: Most of the toolkits included in the review lacked information on teenage pregnancy, maternal and newborn health and abortion/fertility. There was limited representation of vulnerable populations, including LGBTQI+ individuals and youth from humanitarian/conflict settings. Many toolkits also lacked hands-on activities, workshops, and real-world examples.

Contents: The primary focus of most toolkits was on improving general knowledge of SRH and contraceptive options; written information on what contraception is, what options are available and their importance was included in the vast majority of toolkits .  Hands-on material and explicit examples of scenarios were lacking throughout all toolkits. The resources were primarily designed for healthcare providers, educators, policymakers and organisations, with a limited number targeted directly at adolescents and young adults.

Thus, we recommend that future toolkits cover a much wider range of SRH topics and provide a greater depth of information for young adults and adolescents worldwide. Further, we believe it is important to increase the sensitivity and applicability of these toolkits to vulnerable populations, such as those from diverse backgrounds and from LGBTQI+ communities. Moreover, using a multifaceted approach such as awareness campaigns, digital accessibility, community engagement, and partnerships with various stakeholders will promote access to SRH toolkits for young adults and should be incorporated into educational resources and toolkits. Further, developing new toolkits, and updating existing ones is essential to empower young adults to learn about their SRH and protect themselves from risky SRH behaviours and poor health outcomes. It is also vital to have continual, sensitive and open-minded conversations with young adults to understand which SRH topics are not well understood and need deeper incorporation into future toolkits. Incorporating young adults’ voices into these resources will elevate their usability and applicability, further encouraging their use and improving SRH outcomes for young adults and adolescents.