Dr Google, porn and friend-of-a-friend: where are young men really getting their sexual health information?
Amy Litras A B , Sarah Latreille A and Meredith Temple-Smith AA General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: amy.litras@unimelb.edu.au
Sexual Health 12(6) 488-494 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH15055
Submitted: 22 March 2015 Accepted: 3 July 2015 Published: 7 September 2015
Abstract
Background: Young men are vulnerable when it comes to sexual health. They attend the general practitioner (GP) less often than females and are less likely to be offered testing for sexually transmissible infections. Access to accurate health information and education is a cornerstone of primary prevention, yet we know very little about how, where and why young people obtain information about sexual health. Methods: One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 male students aged 16–19 years from two Victorian educational institutions for trade skills until data saturation was reached. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: The young men were poorly informed about sexual health. Their existing knowledge mainly came from school-based sexual health education, which while valued, was generally poorly recalled and provided only a narrow scope of physiological information. Young men seek sexual health information from various sources including family, the Internet, friends and pornography, with information from the latter three sources perceived as unreliable. GPs were seen as a source of trust-worthy information but were not accessed for this purpose due to embarrassment. Young men preferred the GP to initiate such conversations. A desire for privacy and avoidance of embarrassment heavily influenced young men’s preferences and behaviours in relation to sexual health information seeking. Conclusions: The current available sources of sexual health information for young men are failing to meet their needs. Results identify potential improvements to school-based sexual education and online resources, and describe a need for innovative technology-based sources of sexual health education.
References
[1] National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (Australia), The Kirby Institute. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: annual surveillance report. Darlinghurst: Australia National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research; 2014. Available online at: http://kirby.unsw.edu.au/surveillance/2014-annual-surveillance-report-hiv-viral-hepatitis-stis [cited 7 November 2014].[2] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian social trends: sexually transmitted infections. ABS Cat. no. 4102.0. Canberra; ABS; 2012. Available online at: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10Jun+2012 [cited 7 November 2014].
[3] Warr D, Hillier L. ‘That’s the problem with living in a small town’: privacy and sexual health issues for young rural people. Aust J Rural Health 1997; 5 132–9.
| ‘That’s the problem with living in a small town’: privacy and sexual health issues for young rural people.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK1c7gtVKluw%3D%3D&md5=4854d5479384519a118f3b9096c804d8CAS | 9437940PubMed |
[4] Bourke L. Australian rural consumer’s perceptions of health issues. Aust J Rural Health 2001; 9 1–6.
| Australian rural consumer’s perceptions of health issues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3Mnlt1WjsQ%3D%3D&md5=568687185e01259e59daceaa416e506aCAS | 11703259PubMed |
[5] Bourke L, Humphreys J, Lukaitis F. Health behaviours of young, rural residents: a case study. Aust J Rural Health 2009; 17 86–91.
| Health behaviours of young, rural residents: a case study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19335598PubMed |
[6] Quine S, Bernard D, Booth M, Kang M, Usherwood T, Alperstein G, Bennett D. Health and access issues among Australian adolescents: a rural-urban comparison. Rural Remote Health 2003; 3 245
| 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2M3ksFaquw%3D%3D&md5=fe69a2227139ffd902bee881cfd93061CAS | 15882102PubMed |
[7] Humphreys JS, Mathews-Cowey S, Fau-Weinand HC. Factors in accessibility of general practice in rural Australia. Med J Aust 1997; 166 577–80.
| 1:STN:280:DyaK2szksVyjuw%3D%3D&md5=7ff189808a438e6082a81315385a1dfdCAS | 9201176PubMed |
[8] McNamee KM, Fairley CK, Hocking JS. Chlamydia testing and notification in Australia: more money, more tests. Sex Transm Infect 2008; 84 565–9, discussion 9.
| Chlamydia testing and notification in Australia: more money, more tests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1cjot1Ogtw%3D%3D&md5=466980eccfa376f82a30ddeba64de8acCAS | 18653566PubMed |
[9] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice, 8th edn. South Melbourne: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; 2012.
[10] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Young Australians: their health and wellbeing, 4th edn; 2011. Available online at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737419261 [cited 7 November 2014].
[11] Kong FYS, Guy RJ, Hocking JS, Merritt T, Pirotta M, Heal C, Berferi I, Donovan B, Hellard ME. Australian general practitioner chlamydia testing rates among young people. Med J Aust 2011; 194 249–52.
[12] Mitchell A, Patrick K, Heywood W, Blackman P, Pitts M. 5th national survey of Australian secondary students and sexual health 2013. Melbourne: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University; 2014.
[13] Know Your Meme. Blue waffle. Cheezburger Inc 2009. Available online at: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/blue-waffle [verified 19 December 2014].
[14] Williams K. Healthy pair: dealing with health in pregnancy. Blue waffles disease causes, symptoms, treatment and pictures. Available online at: http://healthypair.net/blue-waffles-disease-causes-symptoms-treatment-and-pictures [verified 19 December 2014].
[15] Urban Dictionary. Blue waffle. 2010. Available online at: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Blue+waffle [verified 19 December 2014].
[16] Latreille S, Collyer A, Temple-Smith M. Finding a segue into sex: young men’s views on discussing sexual health with a GP. Aust Fam Physician 2014; 43 217–21.
| 24701626PubMed |
[17] Smith ASM, Mitchell A, Walsh J, Lyons A, Blackman P, Pitts M. Sexuality education in Australian secondary schools 2010. Melbourne: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society; 2011.
[18] Kirby DRL, Wilson M. Tool to assess the characteristics of effective sex and STD/HIV education programs. Washington DC: Healthy Teen Network; 2007. Available online at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/stds/stded.pdf [verified February 2015].
[19] Wight D. The effectiveness of school-based sex education: what do rigorous evaluations in Britain tell us? Educ Health 2011; 29 72–8.
[20] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Household use of information technology, Australia, 2012–13. ABS Cat. no. 8146.0 Canberra; 2014. Available online at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8146.0Chapter32012-13 [verified 18 March 2015].
[21] Gray NJ, Klein JD, Noyce PR, Sesselberg TS, Cantrill JA. Health information-seeking behaviour in adolescence: the place of the internet. Soc Sci Med 2005; 60 1467–78.
| 15652680PubMed |
[22] Burns JM, Davenport TA, Durkin LA, Luscombe GM, Hickie IB. The internet as a setting for mental health service utilisation by young people. Med J Aust 2010; 192 S22–6.
| 20528703PubMed |
[23] DeSmet A, Shegog R, Van Ryckeghem D, Crombez G, De Bourdeaudhuij I. A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for sexual health promotion involving serious digital games. Games Health J 2015; 4 78–90.
| A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for sexual health promotion involving serious digital games.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26181801PubMed |
