Sexual health challenges PDF

Running head: CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
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1CRITIAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
Executive Summary
Despite the adequate public educational dissemination of information and policies
pertaining to the need for maintaining healthy and appropriate sexual health practices, there still
lies considerable prevalence of unhealthy, risky sexual behavior amongst adolescents.
Considering the complex social, developmental and functional needs of adolescents,
maintenance of adequate sexual health often becomes a contentious issue. The following report
discusses the complex case scenario of Fred, a young adult who is homeless and is actively
involved in undertaking unhealthy sexual behaviors for the purpose of living. For the
management of this case, healthcare professionals must critically consider moral and ethical
principles along with a variety of theoretical principles. Likewise, the need of the hour is the
adoption of multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of adolescent sexual problems, along
with the appropriate dissemination of information concerning the associated health outcomes,
with due consideration of unprotected sexual engagement amongst the youth.

2CRITIAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
Concise Overview................................................................................................................3
Professionalism and Decision-Making................................................................................5
Theoretical Principles..........................................................................................................8
Moral Reasoning................................................................................................................10
Contemporary Sexual Healthcare......................................................................................12
Critical Reflection..............................................................................................................15
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................16
References..........................................................................................................................18

3CRITIAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
Introduction
According to Edelman et al., (2015), optimum sexual healthcare services imply the
provision of a range of professional and quality services which aid an individual to embrace their
sexuality with enjoyment and liberty. ‘Sexual health’ also refers to a collection of treatment
principles and procedures which aid in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (Meyrick
& Gray, 2018). As stated by Epstein and Mamo (2017), optimum sexual health encompasses the
freedom of all individuals to practice their varied sexual needs with ease, along with providing
everyone the right to access all health services concerned with the optimum maintenance and
treatment of the same. In accordance to the World Health Organization, optimum sexual health
refers to the state of wellness and wellbeing, at the social, physical as well as mental platforms. It
also implies the requirement of individuals to approach their own as well other’s sexual needs
with respect and consent for the purpose of engagement in sexual relationships which are safe
and devoid of violence, disparities and force (Costello et al., 2016).
According to Sarver et al., (2014), despite the increased awareness and dissemination of
public education on maintenance and practice of appropriate sexual health, there still lies and
increased prevalence and tendencies of adolescents and youngsters to engage in sexual behaviors
which are risky, resulting in an increase in their susceptibility to affliction of additional harmful
disorders and associated negative health outcomes. Hence, according to DiClemente (2016), the
need of the hour is to undertake a critical examination of the concerned professionalism and
decision-making associated with the same, for the purpose of prevention of undertaking specific,
uninformed sexual health activities amongst the youth, which will yield harmful consequences
on the health of the individual as well as others.

4CRITIAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
The following paragraphs of the report aim to critically examine a sexual health scenario,
along with the deconstructed and critical examination of the professionals involved in the
situation, a range of theoretical principles involved for further understanding, the principles of
morality involved along with a critical overview of treatment principles associated with sexual
healthcare services at contemporary platforms.
Concise Overview
We shall be critically considering the scenario of Fred. Fred, who is aged nineteen years
old, is engaged in the conductance of unhealthy and risky sexual health behaviors. Considering
his critical situation of homelessness, he takes part in the engagement of sexual practices with a
female friend, as a result of which, the concerned female friend in question returns the favor by
allowing Fred to reside in her house, for free of cost. Despite adequate knowledge and awareness
concerning his wrong doing, Fred is unable to break free from the act since he will be at a loss of
his basic living standards.
Hence, as observed from the above scenario, along with the engagement in risky and
unhealthy sexual behavior, a number of factors are to be taken into concern, due to multi-faceted
nature of the above, encompassing compromised sexual health, along with detrimental
socioeconomic standards leading to homelessness.
The rationale behind this scenario is the prevalence of adolescents undertaking risky
sexual behavior leading to their increased susceptibility and infliction to a variety of diseases and
co-morbidities (Simons et al., 2016). According to Kerpelman et al., (2016), the practice of
adolescents undertaking unhealthy sexual behaviors is emerging as a major population
shortcoming and critical health scenario on a global platform. The engagement of young adults

5CRITIAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
in harmful sexual practices amongst multiple partners or the like results in higher susceptibility
to the acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases. As stated by Ritchwood et al, (2016), the
critical and highly receptive age of adolescent is characterized by tendencies in the engagement
of experimentation which puts them at a greater vulnerability towards harmful health outcomes.
A majority of adolescents who have underwent risk taking ventures associated with sexual
intercourse, present a wide range of complications in addition to sexually transmitted diseases.
These include: hepatitis, arthritis of infectious skin rashes (Boyer et al., 2017). A stated by
Sedgh et al., (2015), in the United Kingdom, one of the salient national objectives requiring
fulfillment, for the purpose of maintenance of optimum health amongst the population is the
implementation of efforts aimed at decreasing the adolescent infliction of premature teenage
pregnancies, untimely and inappropriate abortions and most importantly, sexually transmitted
diseases and HIV. In accordance to the data published by the Family Planning Association and
Brook Sexual Health Charity, titled as the ‘Unprotected Nation’ report, if the prevalent trends
outlining engagement in unhealthy sexual health amongst adolescents remained untreated for
prolonged periods, the estimated financial consequences associated with untimed pregnancies,
abortions and sexually transmitted diseases will amount to 130 million Euros (Marcell et al.,
2018).
The additional rationale outlining the selection of the above case scenario of Fred, is the
prevalent situation of homelessness amongst the youth of the United Kingdom. In accordance to
‘Center Point’ – an organization in the United Kingdom, dedicated for the provision of help and
services to the youngsters devoid of appropriate residential and occupational surroundings, there
is an annual reporting of homelessness amongst almonds 103, 000 youngsters (Montgomerie &
Büdenbender, 2015). As opined by Watson, Crawley & Kane (2016), along with the prevalence