Abstract
BackgroundHealth service providers play a significant role in crafting and implementing health policies and programs that manage adolescent sexual health-related issues at different health system levels. These influence adolescent sexual behaviours and practices.AimThis study explored the roles of health service providers in managing adolescent sexual issues and how this impacts their sexual behaviours and practices. The study further probed the health service providers on how the indigenous health system could be integrated into the modern health system for effective management of adolescent sexual health related issues.MethodsA qualitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on purposively selected health service providers in health facilities in Mberengwa and Umguza districts. Data was collected using unstructured interviews that were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Findings were presented as clearly defined as superordinate and subordinate themes.ResultsA total of five superordinate themes and 19 subordinate themes emerged from the interrogated data. The superordinate themes were: overview of adolescent sexual health issues, role of modern health system in adolescent sexual health issues, challenges encountered, indigenous health system factors that could be factored into modern health systems, and strategies to foster the integration of indigenous health system and modern health system. The subordinate themes explored in-depth the findings of the key stakeholders under the five superordinate themes.ConclusionsFrom the findings, it can be concluded that health service providers play an essential role in shaping and providing adolescent sexual health services that adolescents utilise despite challenges that have reduced demand for these services. Therefore, there is a need to point out that there is a window of opportunity to foster collaborations between the indigenous health system and the modern health system as they strive to serve the adolescents to the best of their ability though in different contextual settings.
Highlights
Health service providers play a significant role in crafting and implementing health policies and programs that manage adolescent sexual health-related issues at different health system levels
The superordinate themes were: overview of adolescent sexual health issues, role of modern health system in adolescent sexual health issues, challenges encountered, indigenous health system factors that could be factored into modern health systems, and strategies to foster the integration of indigenous health system and modern health system
From the findings, it can be concluded that health service providers play an essential role in shaping and providing adolescent sexual health services that adolescents utilise despite challenges that have reduced demand for these services
Summary
Health service providers play a significant role in crafting and implementing health policies and programs that manage adolescent sexual health-related issues at different health system levels. These influence adolescent sexual behaviours and practices. Health service providers play a significant role in crafting and implementing health policies and programs that manage health-related issues at different levels in the health system, including adolescent sexual health. There are differences in how these programs are conceived, implemented and evaluated in different country settings through health service providers to ensure that these services are available [5] Conducting such studies allows for tailor-making programs that best suit the specific country, province, or district settings to better harness the health service providers’ (HSPs) skills and explore the potential for complementary integration of different systems and ensure this translates to better adolescent sexual health (ASH) outcomes [5]
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