Promoting Safer Sexual Behaviours by Employing Social Cognitive Theory Among Gay University Students: A Pilot Study of A Peer Modelling Programme.

Luis Miguel Dos Santos

doi:10.3390/ijerph17051804

Abstract

Unsafe and unprotected sexual behaviours are some of the significant challenges of health promotions and planning for current school environment. Although schools and health specialists constantly host conferences and workshops for adolescents and university students, the results are not significant. Particularly for sexual minorities, the heterosexual-oriented materials may not satisfy their needs due to the differences. As a recommendation, the current pilot study established a Peer Modelling Programme which engaged gay social workers and gay university students who have associated with unsafe and unprotected sexual activities. The outcomes of this Peer Modelling Programme indicated that gay undergraduate students tended to accept the recommendations and peer modelling exchanges from their gay social workers who understood their difficulties and sexual needs as sexual minorities based on the guideline of Social Cognitive Theory. In conclusion, this study may be used to develop additional social work materials, sexual health promotions and health plans for sexual minorities and people with special needs in the society. This research serves as a guideline to social workers who care about the issues of LGBT and sexual minorities.

Highlights

Protected and safer sexual behaviour, such as using a condom or having a single sexual partner or a stable relationship, are among the factors that protect individuals from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) [1].In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection (2019) [2] reported that, on the basis of the accumulated statistics up to late 2019, 8306 males were infected with HIV and 1723 were infected with AIDS, while the corresponding figures for women were 1844 and 352, respectively; among those individuals, 4133 were infected by HIV due to homosexual contacts, while 3329 were infected due to heterosexual contacts
Teachers, and parents usually discourage underage and unsafe sexual behaviours among youths, one study of US college students indicated that 46% of them had engaged in sexual behaviours during high school and 38.9% of them had never used any form of protection, such as a condom [3]
The issue of LGBT and sexual minorities is still a social taboo in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) due to the East Asian cultural perspective that prevails in the region

Summary

Introduction

Protected and safer sexual behaviour, such as using a condom or having a single sexual partner or a stable relationship, are among the factors that protect individuals from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) [1].In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection (2019) [2] reported that, on the basis of the accumulated statistics up to late 2019, 8306 males were infected with HIV and 1723 were infected with AIDS, while the corresponding figures for women were 1844 and 352, respectively; among those individuals, 4133 were infected by HIV due to homosexual contacts, while 3329 were infected due to heterosexual contacts. Teachers, and parents usually discourage underage and unsafe sexual behaviours among youths, one study of US college students indicated that 46% of them had engaged in sexual behaviours during high school and 38.9% of them had never used any form of protection, such as a condom [3]. Such unsafe sexual behaviours endanger the health of youths and teenagers, sexual minorities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals [4]. The application of this study (i.e., PMP) can be further contributed to the special needs of single parents, disabled people, prisoners, and ex-mentally ill people who demand special needs

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion