Exploring Ugandan secondary school students’ sexual health education needs and developing school-based sexual health interventions through participatory action research

• Author / Creator

  Jones, Amanda Clarisse

• This study began by exploring the factors that influence the sexual health information sources available to Ugandan adolescents and how they decide what sources to use. Guided by participatory action research, focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with students and teachers from two secondary schools in western Uganda. In addition to external barriers, the young people had a complex internal process that they applied when choosing sources. Using these findings, the participants collaborated to develop and initiate a school-based peer education program to prevent unwanted sexual health outcomes (HIV, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections). The peer educators received participatory training on sexual health topics. Through their involvement in the project, peer educators felt prepared and confident to be peer educators and had already had opportunities to provide advice to their peers. The students continued the peer education program; it expanded to other schools where successes were also achieved.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Sexual health
  • Peer education
  • HIV
  • Uganda
  • Adolescents

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3GP84

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.