Oral Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Co-designing recommendations for sexual and reproductive health education alongside Australia’s youth (128568)

Ava Medley 1 2 , Emmalee A Ford 1 2 3 , Shaila Dube 4 , Sophie Maric 4 , Sam Muller 4 , Claire Taylor 4 , Tania Day 1 5 , Angela Dunford 5 , Tanmay Bagade 1 2 , Catherine Chojenta 1 2 , Kirsty G Pringle 1 2 , Jessie M Sutherland 1 2
  1. College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
  2. Women's Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
  3. The Research Centre, Family Planning Australia, Newington, Australia
  4. Sexual and Reproductive Health Advisory Group, University of Newcastle, Australia
  5. Maternity and Gynaecology, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia

Poor reproductive health literacy is associated with poor sexual health and reproductive outcomes. Comprehensive sexuality education is recommended globally as an effective intervention, with evidence demonstrating reduced sexually transmitted infections and improved understanding of preventable infertility.  Despite attempts to implement comprehensive sexuality education in Australia, the relevance and delivery vary among students, leading to inconsistent information retention and understanding. Simultaneously, Australia sustains alarmingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections in young people and an adult population with increasing reliance on assisted reproductive technologies. Accordingly, it is crucial to engage with end-users of education curricula to reduce the disparities observed in understanding and the resulting negative health manifestations.

Utilising focus groups, this project aimed to investigate the thoughts and perceptions of Australian adolescents aged 15-18 regarding their sexual health education.  A key addition of this study was the collaborative work with a Youth Advisory Group, consisting of four tertiary students aged 20-23 years old. The role of the study’s Youth Advisory Group was to review the focus group data alongside UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance for Sexuality Education and the current Australian curriculum, to guide recommendations for strengthening Australian sexuality education.  

The recommendations co-designed with the Advisory Group, considered a range of evidence together with their lived experience, to inform specific guidance for improving sexual and reproductive health education. Recommendations addressed issues including the taboo of reproduction and sex within sexuality education, minimal understanding of what affects fertility, and implementing more inclusive reproductive content.

Ultimately, collaborating with young people in guiding recommendations for reproductive education resulted in consumer-driven suggestions, contextualised to Australia’s youth, for more relevant, engaging content. This study highlights opportunities for educators and stakeholders to adopt similar approaches for better engagement with their students, to support their reproductive health literacy and subsequent health outcomes.