Effectiveness and Acceptability of a Sexual Health Education Program for Muslim Countries: An Intervention Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sexual Health Education
• Sociology of Religion

Background:

• Sexual and reproductive health topics are sensitive and rarely discussed in Muslim societies.
• Addressing these issues requires culturally sensitive and acceptable educational approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability and effectiveness of a sexual health education program among Muslim university students in Turkey.
• To evaluate the feasibility and impact of online sexual health education in a religiously conservative context.

Main Methods:

• A one-group quasi-experimental design was employed.
• The program included five sessions with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments (30 and 60 days).
• The study involved 207 female and 79 male first-year Muslim university students.

Main Results:

• High acceptability: 96.5% liked the education, 96.2% found it useful, and 86.0% found it convenient.
• High intent to use information: 96.9% stated they would use the learned information.
• Significant increase in sexual health knowledge: post-test scores were higher than pre-test scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The sexual health education program was favorably adopted by Muslim university students.
• The findings suggest the program's value in societies with similar religious beliefs and cultural contexts.
• Culturally adapted sexual health education can be effective and well-received in Muslim communities.