Health beliefs and behaviours in relation to sexually transmitted infections among South Korean juvenile offenders: A focused ethnography study.

Aim: This study explored health beliefs and behaviours related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from the perspective of juvenile offenders with STIs in three urban cities. Methods: Data were collected using observations and in‐depth interviews between July and November, 2014. Under the supervision of probation officers, 24 juvenile offenders with STIs were interviewed. Leininger's four‐step method guided the data analysis. Findings From participants' perspectives, poor hygiene and a promiscuous lifestyle caused the STIs. The diseases were considered an adult disease with distinct symptoms and deformities, no cure, and therefore fatal. STIs were shameful for juveniles because their presence revealed sexually active behaviours. The juveniles' health‐related behaviours included neglecting their STI symptoms because they did not know they were infected, mistaking STIs for other health conditions, choosing to suffer rather than revealing their diagnosis, and keeping their genitals clean. Conclusion: A large gap emerged between juveniles' beliefs and behaviours related to STIs. Policies and education are needed to provide accurate STI information for this population. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about the topic? Juvenile offenders are at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Juvenile offenders are likely to engage in inappropriate behaviours to manage their STIs. What this paper adds? Juvenile offenders believed poor hygiene and a promiscuous lifestyle caused STIs, which were viewed as adult, fatal, deformity‐causing, and shameful diseases.STI symptoms were neglected at first or mistaken for other health conditions due to limited knowledge on STI symptom presentation.Juvenile offenders refused health care for STIs to avoid shame and kept their genitals clean as an STI treatment. The implications of this paper: Policies to provide STI screening for juvenile offenders should be developed considering the high prevalence rates of STIs and low awareness of STI symptoms in this population.Use of social media managed by health professionals could increase accessibility to STI management information among juvenile offenders.Nurse‐led clinics that focus on juveniles' sexual health could lower barriers to health care for the juvenile population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]