Sexual health among young people in secure state care
Facts
- Contact person:
- Torkel Richert
- Financer:
-
- Folkhälsomyndigheten
- Responsible at MaU:
- Torkel Richert
- Project members at MaU:
- Affiliated:
-
- Malin Lindroth - Oslo Metropolitan University
- Time frame:
- 01 December 2024 - 31 March 2029
- Faculty/department:
- Research environment :
- Research subject:
Young people aged 16–21 placed in secure state care institutions (SiS) are known to experience compromised sexual and reproductive health. This can be understood in relation to the group’s heightened risk-taking behaviours, increased exposure to violence and abuse, as well as limited access to health care compared with peers in the general population.
In 2024, the Swedish Government launched a cross-agency initiative to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the population, coordinated by the Public Health Agency of Sweden. Within this framework, Malmö University was commissioned to examine sexual and reproductive health among adolescents in compulsory care at SiS.
The present project comprises both a survey study and individual interviews with young people placed in secure state care at SiS. The overall aim is to generate in-depth knowledge regarding the group’s needs, perceptions, and expectations in relation to social services, as well as SiS’s capacity, to provide adequate support in these areas. Parts of the project are conducted within the scope of a doctoral research project.