Tailoring a sexual health curriculum to the sexual health challenges seen by midwifery, nursing and medical providers and students in Tanzania
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Tailoring a sexual health curriculum to the sexual health challenges seen by midwifery, nursing and medical providers and students in Tanzania | |
| Creator | Rosser, B.R. Simon Mkoka, Dickson A. Rohloff, Corissa T. Mgopa, Lucy R. Ross, Michael W. Lukumay, Gift G. Mohammed, Inari Massae, Agnes F. Mkonyi, Ever Mushy, Stella E. Mwakawanga, Dorkasi L. Kohli, Nidhi Trent, Maria E. Wadley, James Bonilla, Zobeida E. | |
| Description | Background: Tanzania is a country experiencing multiple sexual health challenges, but providers receive no formal training in sexual health.Aim: This study aimed to assess (1) what sexual health challenges are commonly seen in clinics in Tanzania, (2) which are raised by patients, (3) which are not addressed and (4) which topics to prioritise for a sexual health curriculum.Setting: Healthcare settings in Tanzania.Methods: Participants were 60 experienced and 61 student doctors, nurses and midwives working in Dar es Salaam. The authors conducted 18 focus groups stratified by profession (midwifery, nursing or medicine) and experience (practitioners vs. students).Results: Providers identified six common sexual health concerns: (1) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) (especially syphilis and gonorrhoea), (2) sexual violence (including intimate partner violence and female genital mutilation), (3) early and unwanted pregnancy (including early sexual debut and complications from abortion), (4) sexual dysfunctions, (5) key population concerns (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT); sex work) and (6) non-procreative sexual behaviour (including pornography and masturbation in males and oral and anal sex practices in heterosexual couples). Across professions, few differences were observed. Homosexuality, sex work, masturbation and pornography were identified as taboo topics rarely discussed. Most participants (81%) wanted one comprehensive sexual health curriculum delivered across disciplines.Conclusion: A sexual health curriculum for health students in Tanzania needs to address the most common sexual health concerns of patients. In addition to teaching sexual science and clinical care, skills training in how to address taboo topics is recommended. Students endorsed almost all sexual health topics, which suggests that a comprehensive curriculum is appropriate. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2022-05-31 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v14i1.3434 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 14, No 1 (2022); 9 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3434/5398
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3434/5399
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3434/5400
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3434/5401
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