Exploring Barriers and Opportunities for Tertiary Education Providers to Deliver Sexual and Reproductive Health Education to International Students: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Introduction To date, there have been little to no studies specifically focused on Australian tertiary education providers’ views on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education for international students. This study investigated staff perspectives on barriers and opportunities for tertiary education institutions to deliver a comprehensive SRH education specific to international students. We complemented staff perspectives with international students’ opinions to ensure that future strategies came from both staff and international students. Methods We interviewed fifteen staff working at tertiary education providers and conducted two focus groups with a total number of nine international students between August 2022 and July 2023. We used reflexive thematic analysis to interpret the data. Results Staff and student participants agreed that tertiary education providers should provide SRH education specific to international students. Staff reported systemic and individual barriers that prevented them from providing SRH education. Both staff and student participants proposed some systemic, personal, and interpersonal enablers that would assist education providers to deliver a comprehensive and culturally safe SRH education to international students. These included sustainable funding to create and deliver a national SRH education program that would consist of a national SRH knowledge hub; SRH training for staff and international students; SRH peer education program; SRH outreach team; and SRH-related activities during international student orientation. Conclusions A comprehensive SRH education program has the potential to increase SRH literacy; reduce stigma and prevent SRH-related issues, including unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmissible infections (STIs), and HIV transmission; and improve international students’ overall health and wellbeing. Policy Implications The Australian governments, both states and federal, should provide sustainable funding and coordinate a national SRH education program specific to international students, and the federal government should update the Education Services for Overseas Student (ESOS) legislation to specifically mention SRH in Standard 6 as an integral part of international students’ health and wellbeing.