WHO's narrative research method. The study of young people's behaviour by young people themselves
Friedman, H.
Planned Parenthood Challenges 1995(1): 46-48
1995
PMID: 12319370 Document Number: 342348
The World Health Organization (WHO) Adolescent Health Program has developed the Narrative Research Method, a way to identify the most common contemporary patterns of sexual relationships among young people as seen by themselves. Using the method, a study begins with a workshop in which about 20 knowledgeable people of both sexes aged 18-25, usually youth leaders, create a story through role play which they believe to be representative of the sexual lives of young people in their communities. The story is then converted into a questionnaire and taken into the field by the participants for verification among representative samples of other young people in their communities. Following this data collection, the original workshop participants attend a second workshop to analyze the data. The most typical aggregated story is identified, followed by any differences between the way sampled individuals may have responded on the basis of sex, age, or urban/rural residence, with findings subsequently disseminated following in-depth statistical analysis as the basis for relevant action. The method was first used among more than 12,000 people in English- and French-speaking Africa aged 10-24 years. Preliminary findings from the aggregate African data indicate that adolescent sexual behavior is not promiscuous. Instead, relationships begin slowly and progress over time with boys gently pressuring girls into having sexual intercourse. After a period of courting, couples eventually have sex. Contraception is not used, the girl becomes pregnant, and parents eventually become involved with unwelcome fallout and consequences for both partners. Help from adults throughout the process is rarely sought. A lack of knowledge, information, trust, and communication lay at the heart of this process. A more open approach is needed to adolescent sexuality, with adolescents provided the knowledge, skills, and material means to prevent unprotected sexual intercourse and the attendant potential consequences.