Conducting Sexuality Education Research: A Review of the Process and Qualitative Example.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This dissertation describes the process of conducting research in partnership with a non-academic health organization to understand the educational and health needs of young people in Iowa. Chapter I provides background information on the state of youth health and sexuality education in Iowa. In Chapter II, I describe how I engaged with the partner organization to establish a partnership, prepare for and maintain IRB oversight, develop study materials, and engage two distinct populations of participants. I describe the challenges encountered throughout this process and provide recommendations for future research involving vulnerable populations, engaging participants online, and examining sexuality education. In Chapter III, I describe each step of the process and report findings of a qualitative grounded theory study exploring young people’s experiences with sexuality education and healthcare. Participants were young women, men, and nonbinary individuals ages 19-24 (mean age 22.45), who identified as gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, heterosexual, or pansexual. Three focus groups (n=11) were conducted to address four research questions. This study aimed to understand experiences with sexuality education, sources of information about sexuality, and the barriers young people encounter when seeking sexuality education. Lastly, I provide a summary of recommended improvements for education and healthcare resources in the community. Young people in Iowa describe experiencing inadequate sexuality education in school, highlighting lack of inclusivity in curricula, positive experiences with GSAs, and negative messages from religion-based teaching. Family members are reported as supportive when they are informed, model sex positivity, and siblings fill the gap when parents do not provide the support. Experiences with knowledgeable and inclusive healthcare providers are described as positive. Participants described positive experiences with peers who are perceived as mature and relatable. Community support and education stem from local nonprofit organizations and health clinics, informative texts, and online communities. Cultural messages that influence education include negative religion-based messages about gender and sexual activity, and perceived ignorance in the community. Participants perceived caregivers as protective and highlighted generational gaps, though trusted adults are preferred sources of information. Informed physicians are difficult to find, resulting in the need for patients to educate the provider on the care they need. Peers are considered good sources of information because they are relatable, although participants recognized that peers can share misinformation. Online communities were highlighted as valuable sources of information. Online sources are considered good because they are personal. The internet allows for distinguishing between evidence and opinion-based information, offering opportunities to seek information based on individual needs. Two forms of barriers were highlighted, structural (school administration and privacy at home) and cultural (shame and lack of conversation). Participants reported coping with these barriers by becoming independent, finding community, and advocating for change. Lastly, participants recommended ways for improving community resources. They advocated for comprehensive sexuality education, teaching consent, development of inclusive curricula, and effort to unlearn harmful messages about sexuality. Next, increasing accessibility of resources can be done by creating safe and free spaces and increasing advertisement of resources. The next suggestion was to improve existing resources, namely educators through professional development, parental involvement and knowledge through education, and healthcare experiences through changes in space and provider knowledge. The final recommendation is to empower youth through example. Findings from this study can be used by researchers, educators, healthcare professionals, and other community stakeholders in efforts to improve sexuality education and sexual health services for all youth, including SGM populations.