Exploring the Structure of a School-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Program: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE: Training programs on sexual and reproductive health rank among the most effective strategies to empower individuals and engage in self-care in this field. This study aimed to explore the structure of a school-based sexual and reproductive health education program. METHODS: A qualitative, inductive, content-analysis approach was used in this study. Participants were selected through a purposeful sampling method. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews with 21 students; 7 key informants; and 3 focus group discussions with parents. Interviews were recorded and transcribed into text manually. Data analysis was carried out using the content analysis method and the MAXQDA11 software. RESULTS: Three categories of health services emerged from the analysis of participant experiences: 1) empowerment-based education model; 2) optimal educational characteristics; and 3) adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that sexual and reproductive health education programs for adolescent girls should be based on empowerment, desirable educational characteristics, and adolescent-friendly mechanisms.