The clinical issue for the current project is sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases, commonly known as STDs, are acquired through sexual contact with an infected person. STDs are caused by viruses, bacteria, yeast, or parasites, and some of the most well-known STDs are herpes, HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. Although STDs can also be passed on through needle sharing, blood transfusion, and vertical conveyance, this project only focuses on sexual transmission, which includes vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and oral sex. While some STDs are treatable by antibiotics, others are lifelong illnesses with no available cure.
STDs are preventable as long as people are well informed about the methods of transmission and the preventative measures. The transmission of STDs is often associated with risky behaviors. Among these behaviors are having multiple sexual partners at the same time, having sex with more than one partner, having sex with partners who are not well known, having sex without protection (i.e., condoms), and engaging in frequent sexual activity with different partners. These risky behaviors are the main reasons for the spread of STDs, and many patients note that they contracted STDs because they exhibited one of the risky behaviors mentioned above. To eliminate the adverse outcomes of early sexual activity, researchers suggest protection methods that prevent both STDs and unintended teen pregnancies (Kottke et al., 2015). As an even stronger defensive measure, a dual method of protection is suggested: using hormonal contraception and condoms at the same time (Kottke et al., 2015). Researchers remark that to conceptualize the best approaches to promoting the dual method of protection, it is necessary to completely understand the various factors that impact contraceptive use (Kottke et al., 2015).
In this paper, the target population is adolescents, who are often known for their eagerness for adventurism and experimentation. Teenagers usually want to become adults by doing what adults do; as a result, they smoke, drink alcohol, experiment with drugs, and engage in pre-marital sex (Trejos-Castillo, E., Treviño-Schafer, N., Brice, L., & McPherson, K., 2011). While a significant number of adolescents avoid smoking and drug use, virtually everyone wants to try sex. Studies have repeatedly shown that teenagers engage in sex as early as the age of thirteen.
By the time they become adults, they have already had sexual intercourse with multiple partners (Harden, 2014). This fact indicates that adolescents exhibit the risky behaviors mentioned above, which put them at a high level of risk of contracting STDs. Some STDs are curable, but some are not. If the adolescent contracts an STD, he or she is not only at risk of suffering from a lifelong illness but is also at risk of spreading the disease to other people. To address this public health problem, it is necessary to give adolescents tools and resources about how to protect themselves from STDs. This paper proposes an early intervention program that will educate the target population about safe sex and the nature of STDs. The clinical question for this study is, “Will adolescents who receive clinical intervention be more likely to engage in safe sex or avoid sex compared with those who do not receive such intervention?”
The proposed intervention is a sexual education program for adolescents aged fifteen and over, and it includes a one-hour class over the course of one week. In this program, participants will receive comprehensive information about the nature, risks, and extent of STDs as well as the benefits of safe sex practices such as condom use and monogamy. The intervention includes a survey to assess the post-intervention behavior of the subjects along with responses from a group of adolescents who did not receive the intervention.
The theoretical framework for the study is predetermined by the research question. Since the research question is focused on STDs among adolescents, the key variables for the study are concerned with the behavioral outcomes of the participants of the intervention program.
Since there is no statistically meaningful divergence between the groups taking part in the study, it can be characterized as quasi-experimental. The study includes a control group and an experimental group. The control group is comprised of adolescents who will not receive any intervention, while the experimental group consists of the teenagers who will receive it.
So far the theoretical framework of the study has included choosing the research problem, narrowing it down to the clinical question, performing a literature review on the selected issue, and deciding on the methodology. After completing the proposed intervention program, the remaining elements of the theoretical framework will be measuring and discussing the results and drawing conclusions.
The theoretical concept used for this study will be the Health Belief Model (HBM) developed in the 1950s. This theory is very useful because its basic concept is concerned with indicating how personal feelings about a disease influence health behaviors (Hayden, 2014). The main components of the HBM are perceived solemnity, perceived sensitivity, perceived advantages, and perceived obstacles. The element of perceived seriousness is connected with the person’s opinion regarding the gravity of an illness. The perceived sensitivity factor has a great impact on one’s intention to lead a healthier lifestyle. The expected advantages are the person’s evaluation of the probable benefits of the new behavior. Lastly, the construct of expected obstacles is the person’s assessment of potential barriers to the new behavior (Hayden, 2014).
The HBM will be used to gain a better understanding of the adolescents’ health behaviors and possible reasons for non-compliance with any recommended health actions. The theory will help explain why adolescents engage in sexual activities that put them at risk of acquiring STDs. The perceived seriousness of STDs will show teenagers the severity of the diseases and the consequences they can have on their health.
References
Harden, K. P. (2014). A sex-positive framework for research on adolescent sexuality. Perspective on Psychological Science, 9(5), 455-469.
Hayden, J. (2014). Introduction to health belief model. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Kottke, M., Whiteman, M., Kraft, J., Goedken, P., Wiener, J., Kourtis, A., & DiClemente, A. (2015). Use of dual methods for protection from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in adolescent African American women. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 28, 543-548.
Trejos-Castillo, E., Treviño-Schafer, N., Brice, L., & McPherson, K. (2011). Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in youth: a community prevention evidence-based program in Texas, USA. Revista CES Psicología, 25-38.