Sexual Health Issues and Interventions for Adolescents

This report delves into the critical issue of sexual health among adolescents, particularly in the Southern Eastern community of Queensland, Australia. It highlights the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diseases, emphasizing the vulnerability of adolescents due to factors like multiple sex partners, lack of contraception, and inadequate health education. The report identifies key challenges, including limited healthcare access, lack of parental communication, and the influence of peer pressure and socioeconomic factors. It explores the impact of these issues on adolescents' overall health, education, and future prospects, while also discussing the importance of comprehensive sexuality education, community outreach, and policy interventions. The report emphasizes the need for improved access to health services, behavioral interventions, and the implementation of policies that promote responsible sexual behavior. It also includes a table summarizing the disease burden and contributing determinants. The report concludes by stressing the need for effective strategies to address adolescent sexual health, recognizing the rights of young adults, and ensuring that interventions are adequately delivered to achieve desired outcomes.

Running head: SEXUAL HEALTH 1
Sexual Health in Adolescents
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

SEXUAL HEALTH 2
It is evident that sexual activities are common among adolescences and many of the acts
they take part in make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections or diseases. According
Slater (1), the most common sexually transmitted diseases affecting them include Human
Papillomavirus and HIV and AIDS. Majority of youths are sexually active and fail to take
preventive measures to avert pregnancy and STIs. They take part in activities such as having
multiple sex partners and lack of using contraceptives due to lack of proper health education.
Although appropriate measures have been put in place to stop the spread of this diseases among
the adolescents, it continues to be a severe problem. The World Health Organization (2) indicates
that access to health care services among the age group is limited due to lack of adequate
services and unwillingness to seek for the services. Therefore, the age group continues to suffer
the most.
Sexuality is crucial in adolescent’s growth. It is often demonstrated through emotions,
thoughts, and desires and experienced through acts of sexual undertakings and mutual
relationships. Sexual health entails conveying sexual expressions combined with the probability
of fulfilling safe sexual happenings. To attain reproductive and sexual health and stop sexual ill-
health among adolescents, emanating sexuality must be acknowledged as a regular feature of
adolescent development (3). The act has numerous adverse outcomes that affect the overall
health of individuals. Promoting access to health care and the use of contraceptives can help
solve the problem. Behavioral interventions such as appropriate condom use are also beneficial
(2).

SEXUAL HEALTH 3
I chose the Southern Eastern community in Queensland as it has a large number of
adolescents suffering from sexually transmitted infections and disease. The young ones are from
poor backgrounds and resort to commercial sexual practices to get food and other necessities.
They also engage in unhealthy behaviors due to lack of guidance and proper health education.
Studies indicate that there is limited communication between adolescents and the parents (4).
The Community, especially the parents are concerned in making sure that the issue is eliminated.
It is keen on educating their children on the adverse effects of the sexual activities they engage in
to ensure that they change their behavior. One of the factors that make it hard to address the issue
includes lack of knowledge on the effects of the act. Lack of the ability to make sound decisions
has also influenced the ability to eradicate the vice. Engaging in drug and substance abuse has
also changed the efforts to fight it. This issues also have the potential to affect the performance
of the adolescents in school. Some fail to complete school which affects their future life and the
economy. Therefore, proper planning to eliminate this is therefore required (5).
Youths lack the best of intentions in stopping the inappropriate behaviors making it
difficult to stop it. Peer-pressure is a vice that leads to acts such as sexual immorality which puts
individuals at risk of sexually transmitted diseases. All-Inclusive sexuality education is
demonstrated as a useful practice but is often unsuccessfully implemented (6). Community and
outreach activities educate adolescents about services and the importance of making use of them.
Community members should also support the provision of healthcare services to adolescents.

SEXUAL HEALTH 4
Research indicates that most teenagers are naïve and impulsive to some extent. The
populations that are at risk of contracting are sexually active adolescents. The predisposing
factors of this diseases include lack of enough knowledge on the consequences of the act (6).
Most adolescents lack knowledge on contraception use and the importance of abstinence. The
negative influence of religion and culture on sexual health makes individuals vulnerable to STIs.
Poor health-seeking behavior also makes youths susceptible to the diseases. Some value systems
predispose the youngness to this vice by not openly condemning the act and hence making them
believe that they are not doing anything wrong. Many youths fail to change their behavior due to
lack of confidence in doing so.
Enabling factors that may help the youth change their behaviors include put in place
policies that coerce behavior change. Many adolescents, especially the most marginalized and
vulnerable, do not receive adolescent health programs. Therefore, there is need to ensure
efficient Allocating enough resources in educating individuals may help improve health seeking
behavior and hence positively impacting on the sexual health of the youth (7).
Reinforcing factors that have a good impact in ensuring behavior change include
conveying relevant information about improving sexual health in the model. Lack of role models
to emulate may make it difficult for the youth to correct their behaviors (8). Peers, health
providers and family members that may support the fight against the vice may help in changing
the unhealthy practices of the people since the may most successfully reach the target group.
Peer education issues chances for repeat association more effective approaches reaching the
marginalized young people (9).

SEXUAL HEALTH 5
Policy and regulatory issues often influence the actions of the adolescents. Suitable
policies have been put in place to enhance best practices among the youth. They include the
prohibition of the selling of alcoholic drinks to persons under the age of 18. This is important in
ensuring that the minors do not consume such drinks to avoid practicing inappropriate actions as
a result of its influence. The policy on improving access to health facilities and information of
the age group can significantly improve their sexual health. Keeping track of these strategies can
lead to improvement. Unfortunately, their implementation is often not supervised. This has
negatively affected the sexual health of the adolescents. Although most of these policies have the
potential to change the behaviors of the people some cultures find it unethical (10). They the use
of contraceptives especially condoms may be unacceptable to some community members.
. Interventions that recognize the rights of young adults and aim at getting rid of
sexual immorality among adolescents have been implemented. For interventions to have
intended outcomes on adolescent’s knowledge, practices and behaviors, it must be
delivered adequately (10). The question of whether they have made appropriate changes
remains unanswered. More policies that aim at dealing with early unwanted pregnancies,
reducing child marriages and preventing HIV and sexually transmitted infections should
be applied. Most of the publications have mentioned several mechanisms that may be
used to ensure proper delivery of interventions that improve sexual health. In spite of the
presence of enough evidence, unproductive interventions continue to be common. They
have also failed to address their intended functions. As a consequence, financial resources
are utilized without positive results.

SEXUAL HEALTH 6
Table
Contributing determinants immediate determinants Health Issue
Undereducated
Unhealthy behaviors
Poor health education
Low socio-economic
Status
Poor legislation and lack of
Proper policy implementation
Community and
Outreach centers
Limited number of
health infrastructure
Huge Disease
Burden
Poor sex practices
Poor Health
Seeking Behavior
Increased incidences of
STIs and HIV/AIDS
Among the Adolescents
aged between 10-19 years
in the
Southwest regions of
Queensland
Slow economic
Growth

SEXUAL HEALTH 7
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