Sexual health professionals’ evaluations of a prototype computer-based contraceptive planning intervention for adolescents: implications for practice
K. E. Brown A D , C. Abraham B , P. Joshi C and L. M. Wallace C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Applied Research Centre in Health & Lifestyle Interventions and Public Health, Warwickshire, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK.
B Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.
C ARC HLI, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK.
D Corresponding author. Email: k.brown@coventry.ac.uk
Sexual Health 9(4) 341-348 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH11042
Submitted: 7 Mar 2011 Accepted: 20 Jan 2012 Published: 8 June 2012
Abstract
Background: This paper aims to demonstrate how an online planning intervention to enhance contraceptive and condom use among adolescents was viewed by sexual health professionals. It identifies feedback that has facilitated improvement of the intervention both in terms of potential effectiveness and sustainability in practice. The data illustrate how professionals’ feedback can enhance intervention development. Method: Ten practitioners (two male; eight female) representing a range of roles in sexual health education and healthcare were given electronic copies of the prototype intervention. Interviews were conducted to elicit feedback. Transcripts of the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Practitioners provided positive feedback about the intervention content, use of on-line media, the validity of planning techniques and the inclusion of males in contraceptive planning. Issues with rapport building, trust, privacy, motivation, and time and resources were raised, however, and the promotion of condom carrying was contentious. Conclusions: Professionals’ feedback provided scope for developing the intervention to meet practitioners’ concerns, thus enhancing likely feasibility and acceptability in practice. Ways in which particular feedback was generalisable to wider theory-based and online intervention development are explored. Some responses indicated that health practitioners would benefit from training to embed theory-based interventions into sexual health education and healthcare.
Additional keywords: condoms, contraception, implementation, online intervention, sexual health.
References
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