Sexual And Reproductive Health: Perceptions Of Nursing Students At The University Of Magdalena

Abstract

The following reflective article has been developed as a result of the research conducted for the academic work entitled “Perspective on Sexual and Reproductive Health of Nursing Students of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Magdalena.” The primary focus of this research is the education of students in matters of sexual and reproductive health, and the ways in which protective factors, behaviors, and risk practices affect adolescents and young people. Methodology:the research is developed from a qualitative methodology, implementing the emerging paradigm of complementarity. This approach allows for the use of different methods according to the needs of descriptive research, as it is oriented toward characterizing the problem of the absence of knowledge of reproductive and sexual health in university students. It is also phenomenological in nature, as it is oriented toward discovering the different situations or circumstances that lead students to be exposed to risk factors for early pregnancy or STD contagion. To obtain data, a sample of 12 nursing students was selected and surveyed using a self-directed questionnaire and interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. This study is based on documentary research and is supported by thematic inquiries of the object of study and field conducted because the data collection instruments are applied in the place where the facts occur. In this case, the campus of the Universidad del Magdalena was the site of the inquiry during the second academic period of the year 2022. The results are as follows: The qualitative analysis of the questionnaire and the semi-structured interviews conducted with young university students, selected according to the criteria established by the researcher, is presented. Discussion and Conclusions:the research was conducted in accordance with the principles of informed consent, ensuring the voluntary participation of the students in the study. The questionnaire data revealed that the majority of the students were between the ages of 18 and 19, with the majority hailing from the Magdalena and Atlántico departments. The interview allowed for the collection of opinions, perspectives, and expressions from young university students regarding the subject matter. Overall, participants demonstrated limited knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), associating contraceptive methods with them but not expressing interest in using them. Additionally, they did not engage in medical check-ups or family planning programs.