Sex, lives and videotape

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Healthcare systems face pressure to address teenage pregnancy and youth sexual health behaviors.
• Organizations like Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) develop strategies to influence young people's sexual health.
• Effective interventions require maximizing youth involvement in designing health promotion and service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a process for involving young people and the community in designing sexual health services.
• To explore differing viewpoints between young people, community members, and healthcare professionals on sexual health.
• To inform policy development for teenage pregnancy and sexual health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Utilized video interviews with community members, healthcare professionals, and local young people.
• Conducted externally facilitated focus groups using excerpts from video interviews.
• Organized a final meeting with all three groups to discuss strategy components.

Main Results:

• Video interviews revealed marked differences in viewpoints among the groups.
• Focus groups and collaborative meetings facilitated community and youth engagement in service design.
• The gathered information directly influenced the PCT's policy for engaging young people.

Conclusions:

• Involving young people in the design of sexual health services enhances relevance and effectiveness.
• A participatory approach, using methods like video interviews and focus groups, can bridge generational and professional divides.
• This model provides a framework for developing responsive and impactful sexual health policies and services for adolescents.