Highlights
- •The Adolescent STD Patients as a special group are focused on in this study.
- •The participants lacked sex and STD knowledge while holding an open attitude towards premarital sex.
- •The infection with STDs caused a negative influence to most of the participants.
- •Most parents and teachers were still conservative about sexuality education.
- •The results highlight the emergence and necessity of effective ways of sexuality education.
Abstract
Purpose
To explore the causes and outcomes of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the
adolescent STD patients (ASPs) in relation to their access to and interpretation of
sexual and STD knowledge, their attitudes towards premarital sex, and their feelings
and thoughts after getting STDs.
Methods
A qualitative study was conducted to interview 16 ASPs (12 males, 4 females) using
convenience sampling. One-on-one, semi-structured, and confidential interviews were
conducted in an outpatient clinic room at a dermatology hospital in Guangzhou, China.
Data were analysed via thematic analysis with NVivo 12 software.
Results
Four main themes were derived from the data: sex education before getting STDs, cognition
of the definition of STDs and their transmission, attitude towards premarital sex,
and impact of infection with STDs. Most of the participants had very limited information
about sexuality from their families or schools, lacked STD knowledge, and considered
premarital sex as normal or common. Infection with STDs had a negative influence on
all the participants, especially on female participants, as they felt ashamed and
some even did not want to get married in the future.
Conclusion
Limited sex education, lack of sexual knowledge, and an open attitude towards premarital
sex led to STDs among adolescents. This study highlights the importance of providing
effective sex education. In addition, specific and targeted health guidance and suggestions
should be provided to ASPs to help them deal with STDs and the life experience with
STDs objectively and correctly.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 03, 2022
Accepted:
May 24,
2022
Received in revised form:
May 14,
2022
Received:
August 10,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
