ABSTRACT

Background

There is no formal sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education currently offered in Saudi Arabia. Lack of knowledge and misconceptions are evident among Saudi women, which can lead to negative sexual and reproductive experiences. The aim of this study is to explore Saudi women's SRH knowledge, perceptions and experiences.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews with Saudi women were conducted. Interviews took place in a public hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Interviews were conducted in Arabic, recorded and transcribed verbatim, to allow for thematic analysis of the data. The following themes were identified: experience with menarche, deep-rooted negative views towards sex, difficulty discussing SRH topics, knowledge of sex and reproduction, generational gap, sources of SRH information and the role of the mother.

Results

A total of 28 women, both married and unmarried, aged 20–50 years were interviewed. A profound lack of SRH knowledge was observed among Saudi women which contributed greatly to negative experiences both in childhood and adulthood. Lack of knowledge about menstruation often caused emotional distress for young girls, and menarche was associated with bad memories and negative emotions. Lack of knowledge about sexual intercourse and the deep-rooted negative views towards sex were linked with physical and psychological issues for women. Women rarely received information from their parents or teachers and preferred the internet for their SRH information.

Conclusion

There is a substantial unmet need for SRH education for women in Saudi Arabia. It is our recommendation that SRH education should be tailored to meet Saudi women's unique needs, while understanding specific socio-cultural barriers to SRH education and discussions. Research and policy efforts should be directed towards regulating and producing evidence-based health information on the internet, particularly Arabic language websites.

中文翻译：

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沙特阿拉伯妇女的性和生殖健康知识、看法和经验：一项定性研究

摘要

背景

沙特阿拉伯目前没有提供正式的性与生殖健康 (SRH) 教育。沙特女性明显缺乏知识和误解，这可能导致消极的性和生殖经历。本研究的目的是探索沙特女性的 SRH 知识、看法和经验。

方法

对沙特妇女进行了定性半结构化访谈。采访在沙特阿拉伯利雅得的一家公立医院进行。访谈以阿拉伯语进行，并逐字记录和转录，以便对数据进行专题分析。确定了以下主题：初潮经历、对性的根深蒂固的负面看法、难以讨论 SRH 话题、性和生殖知识、代沟、SRH 信息来源和母亲的角色。

结果

共采访了 28 名已婚和未婚女性，年龄在 20-50 岁之间。观察到沙特妇女严重缺乏性与生殖健康知识，这极大地导致了童年和成年期的负面经历。缺乏关于月经的知识常常会给年轻女孩带来情绪困扰，而月经初潮与不好的记忆和负面情绪有关。缺乏对性交的知识和对性根深蒂固的负面看法与女性的生理和心理问题有关。女性很少从父母或老师那里获得信息，她们更喜欢通过互联网获取 SRH 信息。

结论

沙特阿拉伯妇女对性与生殖健康教育的大量需求未得到满足。我们建议 SRH 教育应量身定制，以满足沙特妇女的独特需求，同时了解 SRH 教育和讨论的特定社会文化障碍。研究和政策努力应针对在互联网，特别是阿拉伯语网站上规范和制作基于证据的健康信息。