In-school adolescents' perception of sexuality education in region 1 of the Gambia.

Abstract

Unmet sexual education needs of adolescents due to socio-cultural challenges have been ignored in different societies. This study investigated students' perception on the sexual education they received at school level, and what they really preferred and needed. In this qualitative study, five focus group discussions with 50 adolescents and 10 individual in-depth interviews were conducted among respondents aged 15-19 in both public and private schools in region 1, The Gambia. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study results revealed that the adolescents were dissatisfied with the sexuality education in their schools. The emerged themes included: lack of priority for sexuality education, lack of appropriate educational materials and trained teachers and inconsistency of the sexuality education content with the adolescents' needs. The adolescents in this study showed great abilities to appraise sexuality education and health services delivered for them, and so any program for sexual health promotion in adolescents ought to address adolescents' needs, demands, and aspirations.