TOWARDS A PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROMOTION

Numerous interventions have been designed to promote safer sexual beha viour amongst young people, However, relatively few have proved effect ive, which is, at least partially, due to the lack of development of t heoretically based programmes, An understanding of the origins and con trol of sexual behaviour can be derived from basic social science rese arch. Unless this is applied to the design of behaviour-change program mes they are unlikely to target the most important determinants of you ng people's sexual behaviour and are, therefore, unlikely to be effect ive. This paper outlines some of the key theoretical insights which ha ve been drawn upon in the development of a new sex education programme currently being tested in Scottish schools, The theoretical basis is intentionally eclectic, combining social psychological cognitive model s with sociological interpretations, since we are not concerned to adv ance any particular theory but to find which are most useful in promot ing sexual health. First, the social influences on sexual behaviour ar e considered, and then the way in which these translate into individua l perceptions and beliefs, Finally, the paper attempts to develop a th eoretical understanding of sexual interaction and the social contexts of sexual behaviour.