Page 361 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

“A session on sexual and reproductive health is conducted for all students

during student orientation in the first year of university. We participated in it.
In addition, there is a course on sexual and reproductive health by the

community science department of the Faculty of Arts. During COVID-19,

students were informed about sexual and reproductive health by the Faculty
of Arts and the Sociology Alumni Association of the University of Colombo.

However, in no place did they pay much attention to students with disabilities.
Even if we have questions, we do not hesitate to ask. The teaching methods

they use are not suitable for students with disabilities” (Informal conversation

through a focus group interview).

The liberal atmosphere of the university has failed to provide sexual and

reproductive education to the students in general. A one-hour discussion on
sexual and reproductive health for higher education students is sufficient to

promote sexual and reproductive health knowledge (P4, male, 23, Visually

Impaired).

This approach made addressing sensitive issues in large lecture halls with

broad audiences challenging. The study found that even "all" students faced
sexual and reproductive health issues, but many programmes only addressed

macro-level issues. Therefore, small group discussions and simulations were
identified as crucial to address the diverse needs of different target groups. The

study recommends that universities prioritise and differentiate between macro-

and micro-level themes, guide resource pool selection, and ensure audiences'
clarity before conducting any awareness programme.

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