Digital Media, Family Communication, and Sexual Health Literacy Among University Students in Northeastern Mexico

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_12How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Health communication; Public policy; Public health; Sexual health

Abstract

Communication about sexual and reproductive health among university students is a critical public health concern, as it directly influences decision-making, risk behaviors, and overall well-being. This study aimed to analyze communication patterns related to sexual and reproductive health among undergraduate students at the Faculty of Public Accounting and Administration (FACPyA) of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico. A quantitative, observational, non-experimental, and cross-sectional design was employed, employing survey methodology. Data were collected through a self-administered digital questionnaire of 68 items across five sections: sociodemographic characteristics, family and peer communication about sexuality, sexual and reproductive health behaviors, public health perspectives, and policy awareness. The instrument was administered to a convenience sample of 220 university students. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results showed that 63% of participants preferred the internet as their primary source of sexual health information, while 57% reported feeling uncomfortable discussing sexuality-related topics with their parents. Furthermore, topics such as contraceptive use (53.9%) and sexually transmitted infections (62.1%) were frequently omitted in family conversations. A significant knowledge gap was identified regarding the correct use of contraceptive methods and STI prevention, and 52.7% of students considered the sexual education they had received to be insufficient. These findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen sexual health communication within university settings, promote open intergenerational dialogue, and develop evidence-based educational programs and public policies that address the informational, emotional, and gender-inclusive dimensions of sexual and reproductive health among young people.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Noé Emmanuel Del-Real-Garcia
AU  - María Eugenia Reyes-Pedraza
AU  - María Delia Tellez-Castilla
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
TI  - Digital Media, Family Communication, and Sexual Health Literacy Among University Students in Northeastern Mexico
BT  - Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies 2026 (ICOMTA 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 112
EP  - 120
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_12
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-803-0_12
ID  - Del-Real-Garcia2026
ER  -