Where do adolescents turn for sexual and reproductive health information and support? A cross-sectional study in northern Sweden.

OBJECTIVE

To examine sources of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and support among adolescents aged 16-17 years in a sparsely populated county in Northern Sweden and their associations with gender, sexual orientation, and country of birth.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from a digital survey completed by 668 first-year upper-secondary students in a sparsely populated County of Sweden 2024. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Social media (45.2%), healthcare websites (41.3%), friends (40.1%), and school-based sex education (35.2%) were the main sources of SRHR information, while friends were the primary source of support (62.3%). Youth clinics (4.9%) and school health services (1.3%) were less frequently reported. Moreover, 19.9% reported never talking about relationships and sexuality and 8.5% reported receiving no information. Compared with girls, boys had lower odds of using healthcare websites (OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.32-0.61), social media (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.38-0.71), and friends (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.29-0.57) for SRHR information. Boys also had more than four times the odds of never discussing relationships and sexuality (OR = 4.01, 95% CI 2.70-6.18). Compared with their counterparts born in Sweden, adolescents born outside Sweden had lower odds of using healthcare websites (OR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.17-0.55) as a source of information, and higher odds of never discussing relationships and sexuality (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.03-3.26).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents primarily reported informal sources of SRHR information. Socio-demographic disparities highlight the importance of ensuring accessible and inclusive SRHR information and support for diverse adolescent groups.