Content of higher education textbooks from the viewpoint of sexual health education

The analysis of sexual health education in higher education textbooks can pave the way for its development in other fields. This study was carried out with the aim of investigating the content of higher education textbooks in terms of addressing the dimensions of sexual health. The two textbooks of undergraduate course entitled “Family planning” and “Life customs” were studied through content analysis method. Investigation was done through a content analysis checklist containing four main bio-psychological, religious-moral, educational-cultural and social-legal components and 39 subcomponents, which its reliability and validity was approved by experts. Chi-square test was applied for investigating the difference between the expected and observed figures. The components of knowledge about contraceptive methods, choosing partner, marriage and its criteria, the methods of stabilization and supporting the relationship in family, population control had the highest frequency in the book “Family planning” and sexual instincts, the methods of stabilization and supporting the relationship in family and healthy interpersonal relationship were more frequent in the book of “Life customs”. The educational-cultural content was discussed less than the expected level and the social-legal content was discussed more than the expected level in both of the studied books. The most emphasis is on social-legal aspect of sexual health education in the “Family planning” book and the most emphasis is on religious-moral aspect in the book of “Life customs”. Generally speaking, the educational-cultural content has been discussed less than expected and social-legal content has been discussed more than the expected level in both of the studied books.