Sexual health services for adolescents on Reunion Island: results from a descriptive interview-based study

Objectives To describe the experiences of sexual health services available for adolescents aged 15–19 years on Reunion Island.Design A qualitative descriptive study was conducted from 3 December 2022 to 24 October 2023. Data were analysed using the phenomenological interpretative method.Setting Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Reunion Island.Participants 15 participants were recruited through convenience sampling, but 3 of them did not attend the interviews.Interventions Face-to-face or videoconferencing open-ended individual interviews.Primary and secondary outcome measures Barriers and facilitators to access sexual health services, relationship between adolescents and healthcare professionals when using these services and suggestions made by adolescents for improving access to care and quality of care.Results In total, 12 adolescents were included with most being female (11 with a mean age of 18 years). Most interviewees were in a relationship, lived in urban areas and had sexual intercourse (nine, respectively). Participants attended high school, university and preparatory college (four, respectively). Most interviews were face to face (11). The mean duration of the interviews was 32 min. Two themes revealing the experiences of sexual health services emerged. Participants described maintaining sexual health as a difficult journey in their quest for information about sexual health and the available services provided. Participants demonstrated that they had the ability to cope with the consequences of unprotected sex.Conclusions To date, sexual health services available on Reunion Island may not meet the needs of adolescents. Implementation of a strategy aimed at providing young people with skills, addressing their needs and working with them in a collaborative manner may be necessary. Appropriate teaching methods and the training of healthcare professionals should also be considered.