Profile

Narges Sheikhansari
Postgraduate Research Student
6249
+44 (0) 1392 726249
College House 2.09
College House, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Overview
Narges is a public health specialist with an interest in sexual health promotion and disease prevention. Following her MSc graduation in 2016, she applied to University of Exeter and was admitted to the medical school to pursue her research.Before joining the University of Exeter,She was a regional manager for Tehran’s zone 1 in Iranian National Census of 2016.
Qualifications
Foundations Diploma Humanities,Bellerbys College and John Moores University Liverpool, 2011
BA Honours Business and Marketing,Middlesex University 2014
MSc Public Health,University of Southampton, 2016
Research
Research interests
As a self funded PhD candidate, she is doing a needs assessment of relationships and sexual health needs of young adults in Tehran, Iran.
PhD Supervision: Professor Charles Abraham and Dr. Sarah Denford
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Journal articles
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background: Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with the knowledge and skills set which helps them to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions and to protect themselves against STIs, risky behavior and unintended pregnancy. Such education is minimally provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has indicated demand and need for SHRE among different social groups. This study explored Iranian young adults’ sexual health education, training and service needs and ways to improve or augment the existing provision.Design and methods: a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and have volunteered to participate in our study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Participants explained their need and demand for sexual health education and healthcare. They highlighted existing barriers such as lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers and lack of trust and protected confidentiality to gaining sexual health information and seeking related advice and healthcare. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptions.They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with the limitedly available sexual health education and provided recommendations for an improved provision, including holding mixed gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.Conclusions: There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education to young adults, which needs to be addressed in order for young adults to make informed choices and limit their risky sexual behavior.
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background: Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with the knowledge and skills set which helps them to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions and to protect themselves against STIs, risky behavior and unintended pregnancy. Such education is minimally provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has indicated demand and need for SHRE among different social groups. This study explored Iranian young adults’ sexual health education, training and service needs and ways to improve or augment the existing provision.Design and methods: a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and have volunteered to participate in our study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants explained their need and demand for sexual health education and healthcare. They highlighted existing barriers such as lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers and lack of trust and protected confidentiality to gaining sexual health information and seeking related advice and healthcare. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptions.They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with the limitedly available sexual health education and provided recommendations for an improved provision, including holding mixed gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.Conclusions: There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education to young adults, which needs to be addressed in order for young adults to make informed choices and limit their risky sexual behavior.
Abstract:
Severe maternal outcome in afghan immigrant women: a study in Tehran, Iran
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background
. Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with knowledge and skills to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions to protect themselves against STIs, and unintended pregnancy. Only minimal SHRE is provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has highlighted needs and demands for improved SHRE and sexual services in Iran. This study explored young, Iranian adults’ experience of, and need for sexual health education, sexual skills training and sexual healthcare services, as well their views on how to augment and improve existing provision.
.
. Design and methods
. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and had volunteered to participate in the study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.
.
. Results
. Participants explained their needs and demands for sexual health education and sexual healthcare. They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with available SHRE and sexual health care provision. They highlighted barriers to gaining sexual health information and seeking advice and healthcare, including a lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers, lack of trust and protected confidentiality. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptives. Participants recommended improvements, including holding mixed-gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.
.
. Conclusions
. There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education for young adults in Tehran. This should be addressed to empower young people to make informed choices and avoid risky sexual behavior.
.
Abstract:
Maternal and neonatal complications of asthma, a study in Iran
Publications by year
In Press
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background: Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with the knowledge and skills set which helps them to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions and to protect themselves against STIs, risky behavior and unintended pregnancy. Such education is minimally provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has indicated demand and need for SHRE among different social groups. This study explored Iranian young adults’ sexual health education, training and service needs and ways to improve or augment the existing provision.Design and methods: a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and have volunteered to participate in our study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Participants explained their need and demand for sexual health education and healthcare. They highlighted existing barriers such as lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers and lack of trust and protected confidentiality to gaining sexual health information and seeking related advice and healthcare. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptions.They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with the limitedly available sexual health education and provided recommendations for an improved provision, including holding mixed gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.Conclusions: There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education to young adults, which needs to be addressed in order for young adults to make informed choices and limit their risky sexual behavior.
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background: Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with the knowledge and skills set which helps them to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions and to protect themselves against STIs, risky behavior and unintended pregnancy. Such education is minimally provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has indicated demand and need for SHRE among different social groups. This study explored Iranian young adults’ sexual health education, training and service needs and ways to improve or augment the existing provision.Design and methods: a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and have volunteered to participate in our study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants explained their need and demand for sexual health education and healthcare. They highlighted existing barriers such as lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers and lack of trust and protected confidentiality to gaining sexual health information and seeking related advice and healthcare. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptions.They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with the limitedly available sexual health education and provided recommendations for an improved provision, including holding mixed gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.Conclusions: There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education to young adults, which needs to be addressed in order for young adults to make informed choices and limit their risky sexual behavior.
2022
Abstract:
Severe maternal outcome in afghan immigrant women: a study in Tehran, Iran
Abstract:
Sexual Health and Relationship Education and Supporting Services Available to Young People in Tehran; Needs Assessment and Programme Design
Background: Sexual Health and Relationship Education ( provides individuals with the knowledge and skills set which helps them to manage risky behaviours and make informed decisions and to protect themselves against STIs, risky behaviour, and unintended pregnancy. Such education is minimally provided in Iranian schools and universities; and previous research has indicated a demand and the need for SHRE among young people across the social spectrum (Chapter 1).
Aim:
The overall aims of this project were to ( conduct a needs assessment of the SHRE and sexual health service needs of young adults living in Tehran, ( investigate how such provision could be improved or augmented, taking the account of the views of health professionals and policymakers, and ( design a tailor-made SHRE programme for the future development of improved provision to be delivered in Tehran.
Methods:
This PhD project explored Iranian young adults’ sexual health education, training, and service needs and ways to improve or augment the existing provision (Chapter 3). This was followed by an investigation of Iranian healthcare professionals’ assessments of, and recommendations for, sexual health education and service provision for young people in Tehran (Chapter 4).
Both of these studies employed detailed thematic analyses of interview transcripts. Finally, a tailor-made programme outline for an improved SHRE
provision for young adults in Tehran was developed based on the findings of the first two studies, recommendations made in international guidance on the optimal content of SHRE programmes, and further stakeholder consultations using a public involvement methodology (Chapter 5).
Results:
Young adults in Tehran expressed their need and demand for enhanced sexual health education and healthcare. They highlighted existing barriers such as almost non-existent official education and the lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers, and lack of trust and confidentiality when seeking sexual health information, advice, and healthcare. This has resulted in
ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and the correct use of contraception methods. They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with available sexual health education and provided recommendations for an improved provision, including holding mixed-gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationship education (Chapter 3). Validating young adults’ views, healthcare professionals emphasised the need for improved SHRE and service provision for young adults. They also confirmed the barriers highlighted by young Tehranians and collectively supported the augmentation of educational provision and healthcare services and provided recommendations on how this could be achieved (Chapter 4). A bespoke SHRE programme was then developed based on the aforementioned needs assessments, in addition to comments from the programme’s stakeholders and best practice guidelines
published by six national and international organisations. The programme provides content and delivery recommendations, along with objectives and
deliverables for each content category. The final programme outline is intended as a blueprint for improved SHRE provision in Tehran, and potentially Iran
(Chapter 5).
Conclusion:
This PhD project has generated two novel in-depth needs assessments complemented by a theory- and evidence-informed, tailor-made SHRE programme outline which has the potential to augment the currently
minimal SHRE provision in Tehran. This enhanced programme will have the capacity to provide young adults with reliable and non-judgmental sexual health
and relationship knowledge and skills, which can result in improved sexual health and confidence in managing healthy relationships. Overall, this research
demonstrates the unmet needs and desires of Tehranian young adults and healthcare professionals concerning sexual health and relationship education. It provides several recommendations for the future development and implementation of SHRE programmes in Tehran.
2021
Abstract:
A qualitative assessment of the sexual-health education, training and service needs of young adults in Tehran
. Background
. Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) provides individuals with knowledge and skills to manage risky behaviors and take informed decisions to protect themselves against STIs, and unintended pregnancy. Only minimal SHRE is provided in Iranian schools and universities and previous research has highlighted needs and demands for improved SHRE and sexual services in Iran. This study explored young, Iranian adults’ experience of, and need for sexual health education, sexual skills training and sexual healthcare services, as well their views on how to augment and improve existing provision.
.
. Design and methods
. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 young adults who lived in Tehran, Iran and had volunteered to participate in the study. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.
.
. Results
. Participants explained their needs and demands for sexual health education and sexual healthcare. They unanimously expressed their dissatisfaction with available SHRE and sexual health care provision. They highlighted barriers to gaining sexual health information and seeking advice and healthcare, including a lack of reliable resources, taboo and cultural barriers, lack of trust and protected confidentiality. This has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions, including those regarding the cause and transmission of STIs and correct use of contraceptives. Participants recommended improvements, including holding mixed-gender extracurricular workshops with a comprehensive approach to sexual health and relationships education.
.
. Conclusions
. There is a clear need and demand for provision of relevant and reliable sexual health and relationships education for young adults in Tehran. This should be addressed to empower young people to make informed choices and avoid risky sexual behavior.
.