Social and Psychological Approaches to Understanding Sexual Health

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• be able to consider the relevance of social and psychological approaches to policy formulation;
• By the end of this module you should: be familiar with some theoretical and methodological issues concerning research on sexual health;
• be able critically to evaluate published and unpublished material;
• be able to communicate ideas clearly and succinctly and without bias.

Much research has been carried out in the field of sexual health over the past few years, some of it in this department. Amongst issues of concern are unintended conceptions (especially amongst teenagers), abortion choices, contraception side effects, sex and relationships education, and HIV and other STIs. In this course, emphasis is given to lessons learned from the research and how these may be applied in intervention programmes and policy development of various kinds.

Students will learn how to appreciate the importance of adopting a careful and systematic theoretical and empirical approach to real life social issues.

Topics covered include

• methods in sexual health research
• theoretical approaches
• early sexual conduct and contraceptive use
• teenage conception and abortion
• emerging forms of communication and relationships
• sexual problems and pleasure
• STIs and HIV/AIDS
• sex and relationships education
• pornography COVID-19 and sexual health

Each week, groups of students deliver a presentation based on their reading on specified subjects, using PowerPoint and other aids if desired. The presentation is followed by a discussion of the key issues raised. Although the tutors are active in steering the discussion and ensuring that the main issues are covered, members of this seminar course are expected to take an active role in proceedings. Other linked groups also prepare a follow up piece of work based on the topic under discussion. Full details are provided in the course book.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.