Sensitive issues in health education practice: cancer prevention and adolescents

Abstract

Reports on two small‐scale qualitative studies evaluating video‐based health promotion programmes, one aiming to encourage testicular self‐examination (TSE) among adolescent boys, the other aiming to promote positive attitudes towards and intention to use cervical screening services. Studies were part of a larger investigation aimed at developing a health education programme to promote TSE. Reports that TSE significantly increased at six weeks following the programme. However, sections of both programmes caused extreme embarrassment. This resulted in clear negative effects, which were particularly evident on girls’ intentions to adopt future screening. Suggests that adolescents perceive video‐based health education programmes ambivalently and that such programmes may have detrimental effects on positive action in the long term. Boys and girls preferred different media for the presentation of sensitive issues of health care. Boys preferred private access to media such as interactive computing, written information and home videos, while girls had a preference for group talks from health‐care professionals. Describes lessons to be drawn from these studies which may be helpful when developing health promotion programmes to promote TSE, and discusses these in terms of an emotional framework of fear and embarrassment experienced by adolescents.