IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i17p9063-d623601.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving the Sexual Health of Young People (under 25) in High-Risk Populations: A Systematic Review of Behavioural and Psychosocial Interventions

Author

Listed:
  • Ellie Brown

    (Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
    Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Samantha Lo Monaco

    (Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
    Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Brian O’Donoghue

    (Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
    Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Hayley Nolan

    (Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
    Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Elizabeth Hughes

    (School of Healthcare University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Melissa Graham

    (College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia)

  • Magenta Simmons

    (Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
    Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Richard Gray

    (College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia)

Abstract

Background: Ensuring young people experience good sexual health is a key public health concern, yet some vulnerable groups of young people remain at higher risk of poor sexual health. These individuals require additional support to achieve good sexual health but the best way to provide this remains needs to be better understood. Methods: We searched for randomised controlled trials of behavioural and psychosocial interventions aimed at promoting sexual health in high-risk young populations. Outcomes of interest were indicators of sexual health (e.g., condom use, attitudes to contraception, knowledge of risk). Participants were under 25 years old and in one of the following high-risk groups: alcohol and other drug use; ethnic minority; homeless; justice-involved; LGBTQI+; mental ill-health; or out-of-home care. Results: Twenty-eight papers from 26 trials met our inclusion criteria, with all but one conducted in North America. Condom use was the most frequently reported outcome measure along with knowledge and attitudes towards sexual health but considerable differences in measures used made comparisons across studies difficult. Change in knowledge and attitudes did not consistently result in long-term change in behaviours. Conclusions: There remains a dearth of research undertaken outside of North America across all high-risk groups of young people. Future interventions should address sexual health more broadly than just the absence of negative biological outcomes, with LGBTQI+, homeless and mental ill-health populations targeted for such work. An international consensus on outcome measures would support the research field going forward, making future meta-analyses possible.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellie Brown & Samantha Lo Monaco & Brian O’Donoghue & Hayley Nolan & Elizabeth Hughes & Melissa Graham & Magenta Simmons & Richard Gray, 2021. "Improving the Sexual Health of Young People (under 25) in High-Risk Populations: A Systematic Review of Behavioural and Psychosocial Interventions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-25, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9063-:d:623601
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9063/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9063/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Underhill, K. & Dumont, D. & Operario, D., 2014. "HIV prevention for adults with criminal justice involvement: A systematic review of HIV risk-reduction interventions in incarceration and community settings," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(11), pages 27-53.
    2. Oman, R.F. & Vesely, S.K. & Green, J. & Clements-Nolle, K. & Lu, M., 2018. "Adolescent pregnancy prevention among youths living in group care homes: A cluster randomized controlled trial," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 108, pages 38-44.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Combs, Katie Massey & Aparicio, Elizabeth M. & Prince, Dana M. & Grinnell-Davis, Claudette & Marra, Laura & Faulkner, Monica, 2019. "Evidence-based sexual health programs for youth involved with juvenile justice and child welfare systems: Outcomes across settings," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 64-69.
    2. Finigan-Carr, Nadine M. & Craddock, Jaih B. & Johnson, Tonya, 2021. "Predictors of condom use among system-involved youth: The importance of Sex Ed," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Salerno, John P. & Kachingwe, Olivia N. & Fish, Jessica N. & Parekh, Eshana & Geddings-Hayes, Melanie & Boekeloo, Bradley O. & Aparicio, Elizabeth M., 2020. "“Even if you think you can trust them, don’t trust them”: An exploratory analysis of the lived experiences of sexual health among sexual minority girls in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Lieberman, Lisa D. & Kaplan, Alejandra & Scholey, Laura & Kohomban, Jeremy & Lausell-Bryant, Linda, 2020. "Strategic partners: Enhancing the ability of foster care agencies to serve the special needs of young mothers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Olga Fernández-García & María Dolores Gil-Llario & Rafael Ballester-Arnal, 2022. "Sexual Health among Youth in Residential Care in Spain: Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9063-:d:623601. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.