Bakgrund: Sexuell hälsa är en fundamental komponent för en persons allmänna hälsa och är av betydelse för välbefinnande, detta oavsett om personen är frisk eller har en kronisk sjukdom. Personer med kronisk sjukdom som upplever sexuell ohälsa anser att samtal om sexuell hälsa är viktigt men de upplever att dessa samtal sällan tas upp av sjuksköterskor. Kvantitativa studier visar att sjuksköterskor har svårt att samtala om sexuell hälsa vid omvårdnadsmötet, men dessa studier ger inte sjuksköterskor möjlighet att uttrycka sina erfarenheter om detta ämne med egna ord.  Syftet: Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturöversikt var att kartlägga sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att samtala om sexuell hälsa med personer med kroniska sjukdomar samt få en ökad förståelse av vilka utmaningar det finns för att detta samtal skall initieras.  Metod: Den tillämpade metoden i den systematiska litteraturöversikten har utgått från de olika stegen i Statens beredning för medicinsk och social utvärdering.  Resultat: Litteraturöversikten resulterade i fyra tolkande teman: Hinder för att initiera samtalet, Främjande faktorer som underlättar samtalet, Relationen mellan sjuksköterska och patient samt Patientens anamnes.   Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor erfar svårigheter att samtala om sexuell hälsa. Oavsett om det ansågs vara ens plikt att initiera detta samtal eller inte prioriterades det många gånger bort. För att synliggöra och påvisa vikten av samtal om sexuell hälsa inom omvårdnad bör det utgöra en del i sjuksköterskans olika utbildningar. / Background: Sexual health is a fundamental component of a person's general health and it is important for wellbeing, regardless of whether a person is healthy or has a chronic disease. Persons with chronic disease who experience sexual illness believe that the conversation about sexual health is important, but they experience that these conversations rarely are raised by nurses. Quantitative studies show that nurses have difficulties talking about sexual health at the meeting with patients, but these studies do not allow nurses to express their experiences on this topic in their own words. Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to map nurses' experience of talking about sexual health with persons with chronic diseases and to gain an increased understanding of the challenges that exist for this conversation to be initiated.  Method: The applied method in the systematic review has been based on the various steps in the Swedish agency for health technology assessment and assessment of social services (SBU). Results: The systematic review resulted in four interpretive themes: Obstacles to initiating the conversation, Promoting factors that facilitate the conversation, The relationship between nurse and patient and The patient's anamnesis. Conclusion: Nurses' experience difficulty talking about sexual health. Regardless of whether it was considered to be their duty to initiate this conversation or not, it was often de-prioritised. In order to make the conversation about sexual health in nursing visible and demonstrate its importance, it should be a part of nurse’s various educations.

Bakgrund: En stomi är en kirurgisk åtgärd där tarmen läggs upp och bildar en öppning på magen. Denna åtgärd resulterar i att elimination sker via denna öppning, och ändrar därför kroppsfunktionen. Det finns många orsaker till varför en stomi anläggs och det är inom sjuksköterskans arbetsområde att stödja patienten. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva vuxnas upplevelse av att leva med stomi. Metod: En litteraturöversikt genomfördes där både kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar från två olika databaser, PubMed och CINAHL Complete användes. En granskning och analys av artiklarna utfördes utifrån Friberg. Resultat: Efter tematiseringen identifierades två huvudteman en förändrad vardag och psykisk hälsa med två underteman i varje. I resultatet framkom det att en stomi påverkade vardagen både fysiskt och psykiskt samt att personer med stomi upplevde ökat behov av stöd från vården efter stomioperationen. Slutsats: En stomi kan innebära både fysiska och psykiska konsekvenser. Avsaknad av stöd och information kan upplevas, vilket i sin tur kan påverka vardagen negativt. / Background: An ostomy is an intestinal opening placed on the abdomen through a surgical procedure. This procedure results in elimination passing through the opening and changes bodily functions. There are many reasons why a stoma is placed and it is within the field of nursing to support the patient. Aim: To describe adults’ experiences of living with a stoma Method: A literature review was performed using both qualitative and quantitative articles found on PubMed and CINAHL Complete. The articles were examined and analyzed to then form a base for the result. The control was performed with the support of Friberg. Results: When the thematization was completed, two main headings were formed; a changed everyday life and mental health. Each theme had two subheadings. In the results it appeared that the ostomy has both physical and psychological effects and that people with a stoma are in need of support from the healthcare, after the surgery.​ Conclusions: An ostomy can result in both physical and psychological consequences. An absence of support and information can be experienced and this can have a negative influence in daily life.

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação foi instrumentalizar pesquisas em assertividade sexual no Brasil. Para isso foram realizados dois estudos, o primeiro foi uma revisão sistemática buscando por ensaios clínicos randomizados que tivessem uma intervenção com desfecho em assertividade sexual, e quais suas principais características e fatores que mais impactariam neste resultado. Retornaram 10 estudos revisados, com nove intervenções diferentes e envolvendo 1285 participantes no total. Uma meta-análise apontou que comparado ao grupo controle, todas as intervenções experimentais foram efetivas, fossem estudos exclusivamente com adolescentes estadunidenses ou com adultos iranianos, esse último grupo apresentando alta heterogeneidade em seus resultados. O segundo estudo se propôs a investigar as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Assertividade Sexual para mulheres brasileiras. Foi conduzida uma pesquisa transversal que contou com 1031 mulheres, com mulheres que tiveram relações sexuais recentes e outras que não. Verificamos que o instrumento é psicometricamente aceitável e possui bons índices de ajuste, e não apresentou diferença de resposta nesses dois grupos de mulheres. Evidencia-se assim que a assertividade sexual é uma habilidade social com diversos benefícios a autonomia sexual, portanto integrar e expandir seu desenvolvimento no Brasil pode impactar positivamente na saúde sexual da população, além de termos uma medida que pode ser replicada em estudos e na prática clínica, verificando essas mudanças na assertividade sexual. / [en] The objective of this dissertation was to provide tools for research on sexual assertiveness in Brazil. To this end, two studies were conducted. The first was a systematic review searching for randomized clinical trials with an intervention with an outcome in sexual assertiveness, and their main characteristics and factors that would most impact this result. Ten reviewed studies were returned, with nine different interventions and involving 1,285 participants in total. A meta-analysis showed that compared to the control group, all experimental interventions were effective, whether studies exclusively with American adolescents or with Iranian adults, the latter group presenting high heterogeneity in their results. The second study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Sexual Assertiveness Scale for Brazilian women. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,031 women, including women who had recent sexual intercourse and others who had not. We found that the instrument is psychometrically acceptable has good adjustment indices, and did not present a difference in response in these two groups of women. It is thus evident that sexual assertiveness is a social skill with several benefits to sexual autonomy, therefore integrating and expanding its development in Brazil can have a positive impact on the sexual health of the population, in addition to having a measure that can be replicated in studies and clinical practice, verifying these changes in sexual assertiveness.

Bakgrund: ADHD är en förkortning för attention deficit hyperactivity disorder och är en neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning. För att en person ska få diagnosen ADHD behöver flera olika diagnoskriterier uppfyllas. Det första kriteriet är att personen upplever flera olika former av svårigheter med uppmärksamhet och/eller hyperaktivitet och impulsivitet, vilket skapar ett lidandeför personen i minst två olika delar av personens liv, till exempel det privata och det professionella. Personen ska även ha haft symtomen innan 12 års ålder. En del i att ha ett lidande inom det privata kan vara just inom det sexuella och relationella. Tidigare forskning visar på att kvinnor med ADHD kan uppleva en negativa påverkan på sin sexuell lust, orgasm, sexuella funktion och självkänsla utifrån sina funktionshinder. Det finns ett behov av ökad förståelse för dessa frågor, särskilt för kvinnor. Syfte: Undersöka de sexuella och relationsmässiga utmaningar som kvinnor med ADHD upplever i relation till sin diagnos, samt de strategier de använder för att hantera dessa utmaningar. Metod: Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och tematisk analys identifierades tre huvudteman med två underteman på det första och tredje temat. Resultatet: Det tre huvudteman som identifierades var: ”Att ha en funktionsnedsättning innebär olika funktionshinder”, ”Skapandet av strategier inom det sexuella och relationella" och ”Acceptans behövs hos både personen med ADHD och närstående”. Dessa teman belyser hur respondenternas sexuella och relationella hälsa och självkänsla påverkas av deras ADHD. Särskilt framträdde ett mönster som visade en förändring av utmaningar före och efter diagnos, där acceptans och kommunikation framstår som centrala strategier. Att finna acceptans kunde ske genom mindfulness, tantrasex, terapi eller partner som också bröt mot funktionsnormer. Vidare utforskades påverkan av samhälleliga förväntningar och könsnormer på dessa utmaningar, vilket understryker behovet av anpassat stöd och förståelse inom kliniska sammanhang. Vidare forskning: Förslag på framtida forskning inkluderar longitudinella studier för att undersöka förändringar över tid och undersökningar av hur ADHD-diagnosen påverkar partners sexuella och relationsmässiga hälsa. / Background: ADHD, stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is a neuropsychiatric disability. For a person to be diagnosed with ADHD, several different diagnostic criteria must be met. The first criterion is that the person experiences various forms of difficulties with attention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity, which cause suffering for the individual in at least two different areas of their life, such as personal and professional settings. The individual must also have had symptoms before the age of 12. One aspect of suffering in personal life can be within sexual and relational domains. Previous research indicates that women with ADHD may experience negative impact on sexual desire, orgasm, sexual function, and self-esteem due to their disabilities. There is a need for increased understanding of these issues, especially for women. Aim: To investigate the sexual and relational challenges that women with ADHD experience in relation to their diagnosis, as well as the strategies they use to manage these challenges. Method: Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, three main themes with two sub-themes on the first and third theme were identified. Results: The three main themes identified were: "Having a disability entails different impairments," "Creating strategies within the sexual and relational context," and "Acceptance is needed by both the individual with ADHD and their close ones." These themes highlight how respondents' sexual and relational health and self-esteem are affected by their ADHD. Particularly prominent was a pattern showing a change in challenges before and after diagnosis, where acceptance and communication emerge as central strategies. Acceptance could be achieved through mindfulness, tantric sex, therapy, or having a partner who also deviates from functional norms. Furthermore, the impact of societal expectations and gender norms on these challenges was explored, emphasizing the need for tailored support and understanding within clinical contexts. Further research: Suggestions for future research include longitudinal studies to examine changes over time and investigations into how the ADHD diagnosis affects partners' sexual and relational health.

This research project arose from my journeys with Protestant Christian women who were living in sexually unhappy marriages. In South African Protestant faith communities there is the expectation that Christian marriages will experience sexual fulfilment. For many Christian women however, sexual unhappiness becomes their reality. Sexuality is cocooned in silence not only within the church, but also in many Christian marriages. This leaves many Christian women (and men) with little or no recourse to address sexually unhappy marriages. My research journey briefly explored the social construction of sexuality within the history of Christianity to see which discourses underpin current constructions of White Christian female sexuality. This participatory feminist action research journey centralised the voices of present-day contexts: Protestant Christian women, as well as clergy, were invited to share their understandings and interpretations of matrimony and sexual practices in relation to their faith. With the help of narrative therapeutic practices, some of the dominant social and religious discourses that constitute White Christian female sexuality were explored, deconstructed and challenged. This research journey aimed to penetrate this silence and to invite Christian women, who are living in sexually unhappy marriages, to share their experiences. This exploration included the faith predicaments and relational complexities, challenges and dilemmas Protestant Christian women experience when living in sexually unhappy marriages. This feminist-grounded action research explored the effects and consequences which living in sexually unhappy marriages held for the cosearchers. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

This research project arose from my journeys with Protestant Christian women who were living in sexually unhappy marriages. In South African Protestant faith communities there is the expectation that Christian marriages will experience sexual fulfilment. For many Christian women however, sexual unhappiness becomes their reality. Sexuality is cocooned in silence not only within the church, but also in many Christian marriages. This leaves many Christian women (and men) with little or no recourse to address sexually unhappy marriages. My research journey briefly explored the social construction of sexuality within the history of Christianity to see which discourses underpin current constructions of White Christian female sexuality. This participatory feminist action research journey centralised the voices of present-day contexts: Protestant Christian women, as well as clergy, were invited to share their understandings and interpretations of matrimony and sexual practices in relation to their faith. With the help of narrative therapeutic practices, some of the dominant social and religious discourses that constitute White Christian female sexuality were explored, deconstructed and challenged. This research journey aimed to penetrate this silence and to invite Christian women, who are living in sexually unhappy marriages, to share their experiences. This exploration included the faith predicaments and relational complexities, challenges and dilemmas Protestant Christian women experience when living in sexually unhappy marriages. This feminist-grounded action research explored the effects and consequences which living in sexually unhappy marriages held for the cosearchers. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)

Puberty rites are practised in many countries including South Africa. In South Africa the puberty rites have different names and different practices. This study focused on vukhomba among the Manchangana/Vatsonga. Vukhomba is conducted exclusively for girls who have reached menarche. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of utilising vukhomba for the improvement of the health status of women. The study design is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive contextual research study conducted in the Northern region of the Northern Province among Vatsonga\Manchangana in four selected areas. The ethnographic strategy was used to gain access to the vukhomba to view and describe the rite from an emic perspective. The sample included all girls who were initiates during January 1998 and December 1999 in the four selected areas, as well as Vadzabi, varileri, initiated girls, initiated women and vukhomba elders who attended the initaitions. The techniques for data collection included participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and feedback workshops. The findings indicate that vukhomba is conducted during the school holidays in order to cater for girls who are still attending school. The sexuality education in this rite is mainly about encouraging initiates to maintain their virginity for their future husbands. Vukhomba therefore teaches girls attending the initiation the facts of life. It was however, found that girls often attend the initiation for material gain and respect for elders. The content of sexuality education information given to girls during the rite is inadequate. Initiated women and girls wanted to gain more knowledge about their bodies, their health, menstruation, child bearing and pregnancy, contraceptives and pregnancy. After reviewing the findings of the research an intervention programme was developed and discussed with the initiated women and initiated girls. Vukhomba elders accepted the intervention programme, however, certain topics were not approved e.g. contraception. The intervention programme is expected to form part of the initiation programme in the future. Initiated community members will be trained to facilitate the activities of this programme. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil.

According to the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, HIV prevalence in Gambella region where Fugnido refugee camp is located is 6%, which is the highest prevalence data recorded in the country. Similarly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Health Information System (HIS) demonstrates that Fugnido has the highest HIV prevalence compared to other refugee camps in Ethiopia and furthermore shows variation in prevalence among the two main ethnic groups in the camp, namely Agnuak and Nuer (about 8.5% and 2.3% respectively). The study seeks to investigate why a significant difference exists in the number of people with known HIV positive status among the Agnuak community compared to the Nuer community in the Fugnido refugee camp in Ethiopia. It does this by investigating factors that are presumed to explain HIV high risk-behaviour and vulnerability. This was a cross-sectional study of Agnuak and Nuer tribes living at the Fugnido refugee camp. The sampled population involved men and women refugees from the ages of 15 to 49 years. The study used a mixed method approach or methodological triangulation. Cluster sampling technique was used for the quantitative data collection. The sample size was 831 refugees (439 Agnuak and 390 Nuer). Seven (7) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 3 Key Informant (KI) interviews was used for the qualitative data collection. Findings show that the Agnuak were almost 4 times (OR=3.8, 95% CI [1.9-7.4] p < 0.05) more likely to practice risky behaviour compared to 0.3 times (OR=0.3, 95% CI [0.1- 0.9] p < 0.05) likelihood among the Nuer refugees. Factors associated with differences in risky behaviour for both Agnuak and Nuer included, inter alia, primary education as the highest level of education attained, 50% among the Agnuak (OR=0.5, 95% CI [0.3-0.8] p < 0.05), compared to Nuer community’s 30% (OR=0.3, 95% CI [0.2-0.6] p < 0.05). Access to HIV and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services was lower for the Agnuak (OR=1.8, 95% CI [1.1-2.9] p < 0.05) compared to the Nuer (OR=2.9, 95% CI [1.6-5.1] p < 0.05). Unlike the Nuer refugees, the Agnuak refugees who had experienced forced sex (OR=7.3, 95% CI [2.9-18.8] p < 0.05) and had a positive attitude (lack of or reduced stigma) towards HIV (OR=2.1, 95% CI [1.3-3.7] p < 0.05) were more positively associated with risky 6 behaviour (than the Nuer). The Nuer had no factor associated with risky behaviour that was different from that of the Agnuak. The study revealed more Agnuak refugees than Nuer refugees had been engaged in risky sexual behaviour by having multiple sex partners and being involved in transactional sex. The Nuer was more closed and reserved to having sexual relations outside of their group than the Agnuak were which contributed to their relatively lower HIV prevalence. Furthermore, there was very low condom use among the Nuer community compared to the Agnuak community, which was based on differential attitudes between the two communities concerning trust of partner and monogamous relations. The study findings recommend that humanitarian workers and community partners need to collaborate to develop congruent HIV interventions that go beyond traditional strategies of distributing condoms and focus on correct and consistent use of condoms in the camp. Humanitarian and community workers’ understanding the socioeconomic context of the communities and the influence of cultural and other factors, including behaviour with intervention strategies,could also curb the epidemic. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)

This dissertation examines the different depictions of ‘immigrants’ and the ways in which migration, ethnicity and racism have been handled by Swedish HIV/AIDS policy since the early 1980s. The dissertation consists of five separate articles and an introductory chapter that outlines the discourse-theoretical approach used in the subsequent articles. The introduction also provides a contextual framework by summarizing recent research on, and sketching a background to, HIV/AIDS policy development in Sweden. The dissertation argues that, although the policy discourse early on established that inducing safer sex practices among the Swedish population was the only viable solution to the pandemic, the discourse is nonetheless permeated by notions of unsafe identities. The dissertation also stresses the importance of scrutinizing HIV/AIDS policy in light of broader political developments, and argues that an increasing focus on migrants in HIV/AIDS policy should not be seen as a simple reflection of the global epidemiological development, but should rather be understood in relation to the general political and economic phenomenon of welfare state retrenchment. Applying postcolonial feminist theories, the dissertation reveals how the policy discourse is permeated by conceptions of migrant cultures as not susceptible to change but steeped in tradition and primordiality, alongside racialized fantasies about Africa as the ‘dark continent’ and the source of disease. It also discusses how both masculinity and femininity, as well as heterosexuality and homosexuality, feature in the policy discourse as demarcations between Western and non-Western subjects – between whites and blacks and between Swedes and non-Swedes – and identifies the challenges that such knowledge implies for feminist HIV/AIDS research and policy. / Denna studie undersöker hur frågor om migration, etnicitet och rasism hanteras i svensk hiv/aids-policy från 1980-talet fram till idag. Avhandlingen består av fem artiklar och ett introduktionskapitel som presenterar tidigare forskning och det diskursteoretiska ramverket som studien utgår från. Introduktionen innehåller även en presentation av hur svensk hiv/aids-policy utvecklats genom åren. Avhandlingen visar att trots att policydiskursen tidigt lyfte fram att säkrare sexuella praktiker är av avgörande betydelse i kampen mot hiv/aids, så vilar diskursen ändå på en föreställning om säkra och osäkra identiteter. Avhandlingen poängterar också vikten av att studera hiv/aids policy i relation till en samtida politisk och ekonomisk utveckling och ställer sig kritiskt till att förklara ett ökat fokus på invandring i policydiskursen enbart med hänvisning till den globala epidemiologiska utvecklingen. Det empiriska materialet består av policydokument och sexualupplysnings-material. Analysen av materialet visar att policydiskursen vilar på föreställningar om statiska ‘invandrarkulturer’ och rasifierade fantasier om Afrika och sjukdomens ursprung. Studien visar också hur såväl maskulinitet och femininitet, som heterosexualitet och homosexualitet, fungerar som markörer mellan västerländska och icke-västerländska subjekt – mellan vita och svarta och mellan svenskar och icke-svenskar – och diskuterar vad detta innebär för feministisk hiv/aids-forskning.

Depuis quelques années, les statistiques indiquent une croissance exponentielle de l’incidence de certaines infections transmissibles sexuellement chez les jeunes adultes. Certaines enquêtes témoignent en outre des comportements peu responsables en matière de santé sexuelle chez cette population, bien que l’offre d’information sur les conséquences de tels comportements soit importante et diversifiée. Par ailleurs, le comportement informationnel de cette population en matière de santé sexuelle demeure peu documenté. La présente étude porte sur le comportement informationnel de jeunes adultes québécois en matière de santé sexuelle. Plus spécifiquement, elle répond aux quatre questions de recherche suivantes : (1) Quelles sont les situations problématiques auxquelles les jeunes adultes sont confrontés en santé sexuelle?, (2) Quels sont les besoins informationnels exprimés par les jeunes adultes lors de ces situations problématiques?, (3) Quels sont les processus et les sources d’information qui soutiennent la résolution de ces besoins informationnels? et (4) Quelle est l’utilisation de l’information trouvée? Cette recherche descriptive a utilisé une approche qualitative. Le milieu retenu est l’Université de Montréal pour deux raisons : il s’agit d’un milieu cognitivement riche qui fournit un accès sur place à des ressources en santé sexuelle. Les huit jeunes adultes âgés de 18 à 25 ans qui ont pris part à cette étude ont participé à une entrevue en profondeur utilisant la technique de l’incident critique. Chacun d’entre eux a décrit une situation problématique par rapport à sa santé sexuelle et les données recueillies ont été l’objet d’une analyse de contenu basée sur la théorisation ancrée. Les résultats indiquent que les jeunes adultes québécois vivent des situations problématiques relatives à l’aspect physique de leur santé sexuelle qui peuvent être déclenchées par trois types d’éléments : un événement à risques, un symptôme physique subjectif et de l’information acquise passivement. Ces situations problématiques génèrent trois catégories de besoins informationnels : l’état de santé actuel, les conséquences possibles et les remèdes. Pour répondre à ces besoins, les participants se sont tournés en majorité vers des sources professionnelles, personnelles et verbales. La présence de facteurs contextuels, cognitifs et affectifs a particularisé leur processus de recherche d’information en modifiant les combinaisons des quatre activités effectuées, soit débuter, enchaîner, butiner et différencier. L’automotivation et la compréhension du problème représentent les deux principales utilisations de l’information. D’un point de vue théorique, les résultats indiquent que le modèle général de comportement informationnel de Choo (2006), le modèle d’environnement d’utilisation de l’information de Taylor (1986, 1991) et le modèle d’activités de recherche d’information d’Ellis (1989a, 1989b, 2005) peuvent être utilisés dans le contexte personnel de la santé sexuelle. D’un point de vue pratique, cette étude ajoute aux connaissances sur les critères de sélection des sources d’information en matière de santé sexuelle. / Over the pasts few years, statistics have indicated an exponential growth in the incidence of some sexually transmitted diseases among young adults. Certain studies suggest less-than-responsible sexual health behaviours among this population, despite readily available information, from diverse sources, on the consequences of such behaviours. Furthermore, the sexual health information behaviour of this population has not yet been well documented. This study focuses on the sexual health information behaviour of a group of young Quebec adults. More specifically, it answers the following four research questions: (1) What are the problematic situations faced by young adults in matters of sexual health?; (2) What are the information needs arising from these problematic situations?; (3) What are the information search processes and sources used to answer these information needs? and (4) Once found, how was this information used? This descriptive research used a qualitative approach. The Université de Montréal was chosen as the research environment for two reasons: it is a cognitively rich milieu that offers on-site access to sexual health resources. Eight young adults aged from 18 to 25 participated in an in-depth interview using the critical incident technique. Each participant described a problematic situation with respect to their sexual health and the resulting data were analysed using a grounded theory based method. Results indicate that young Quebec adults are faced with problematic situations with respect to physical aspects of their sexual life that can be triggered by three types of elements: a risky event, a subjective physical symptom or passively acquired information. These problematic situations generate three categories of information needs: the actual health state, potential consequences and cures. To answer these needs, a majority of participants turned to professional, personal and verbal sources. Situational, cognitive, and affective factors differentiated their information search process with different combinations of four information search activities: starting, chaining, browsing, and differentiating. Self-motivation and understanding of the problem represent the two main information uses. At a theoretical level, results indicates that the general information model (Choo 2006), the information use environment model (Taylor 1986, 1991) and the information search activities (Ellis 1989a, 1989b, 2005) can be used in the personal context of sexual health. At a practical level, this study enriches the knowledge of the criteria for selecting information sources in the context of sexual health.