Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among young people in secure state care and their non-incarcerated peers – a qualitative, descriptive and comparative study

Abstract

Young people in secure state care have impaired general as well as sexual health. Social work practice that addresses SRHR among young people in secure state care is thus called for. Using a qualitative design, this descriptive and comparative paper combines the results of two separate surveys on sexual health with young people 16–29 years old. 7755 young women and men in Sweden and 117 young women and men in secure state care in Sweden participated. The results show large differences in sexual health between the groups. Young women in secure state care are the most vulnerable. Implications for social work are discussed, and a SRHR-affirmative perspective is suggested. This SRHR-affirmative practice is particularly important when social work involving young people is organised in a compulsory fashion.