TY - JOUR
T1 - Addressing sexual health concerns in Tanzania
T2 - perceived barriers among healthcare professionals and students in the “training for health professionals” study
AU - Massae, Agnes F.
AU - Mgopa, Lucy R.
AU - Bonilla, Zobeida E.
AU - Mohammed, Inari
AU - Rosser, B. R.Simon
AU - Mushy, Stella E.
AU - Ross, Michael W.
AU - Mwakawanga, Dorkasi L.
AU - Mkonyi, Ever
AU - Lukumay, Gift G.
AU - Wadley, James
AU - Mkoka, Dickson A.
AU - Trent, Maria
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Little is known about the factors that may prevent healthcare professionals as key stakeholders from exploring sexual health issues in Tanzania. This study examined healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the barriers to addressing sexual health concerns in practice. In June 2019, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study involving 18 focus group discussions among healthcare professionals (n = 60) and students (n = 61) in the health professions (midwifery, nursing, medicine) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Study participants and design were purposively selected and stratified. We used a focus group discussion guide in Kiswahili. Data were transcribed in Kiswahili and translated into English. A thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Two themes were developed: (1) differences between health care professional and patient socio-demographic characteristics; (2) health care system and patients’ backgrounds, such as communication barriers, lack of confidentiality and privacy within health facilities, type of clinical presentation and complaint, patient behaviours, and their clinical background. Several key barriers prevented sexual health communication between healthcare professionals and patients, affecting the quality of sexual health service delivery. Additional sexual health clinical training is warranted for health professions students and professionals to optimise sexual health care delivery in a culturally conservative country like Tanzania.
AB - Little is known about the factors that may prevent healthcare professionals as key stakeholders from exploring sexual health issues in Tanzania. This study examined healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the barriers to addressing sexual health concerns in practice. In June 2019, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study involving 18 focus group discussions among healthcare professionals (n = 60) and students (n = 61) in the health professions (midwifery, nursing, medicine) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Study participants and design were purposively selected and stratified. We used a focus group discussion guide in Kiswahili. Data were transcribed in Kiswahili and translated into English. A thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Two themes were developed: (1) differences between health care professional and patient socio-demographic characteristics; (2) health care system and patients’ backgrounds, such as communication barriers, lack of confidentiality and privacy within health facilities, type of clinical presentation and complaint, patient behaviours, and their clinical background. Several key barriers prevented sexual health communication between healthcare professionals and patients, affecting the quality of sexual health service delivery. Additional sexual health clinical training is warranted for health professions students and professionals to optimise sexual health care delivery in a culturally conservative country like Tanzania.
KW - Barriers
KW - healthcare professionals
KW - sexual health concerns
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U2 - 10.1080/13691058.2024.2306227
DO - 10.1080/13691058.2024.2306227
M3 - Article
C2 - 38284804
AN - SCOPUS:85183348862
SN - 1369-1058
VL - 26
SP - 1217
EP - 1231
JO - Culture, Health and Sexuality
JF - Culture, Health and Sexuality
IS - 9
ER -