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Effect of Sexual Health Misinformation Education on Sexual Health Information Verification among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Sexual health misinformation is an important public health concern among university students in Nigeria because students increasingly obtain information about sexuality, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, relationships, and other sexual health issues through social media, online platforms, peers, informal networks, and other digital sources. Although these channels can provide useful health information, they may also facilitate the rapid spread of inaccurate, misleading, incomplete, or unverified sexual health claims. Exposure to misinformation may contribute to misconceptions about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, HIV prevention, fertility, pregnancy prevention, sexual consent, and appropriate healthcare-seeking. University students who lack adequate skills for evaluating the credibility of sexual health information may accept and share inaccurate claims, potentially influencing their health decisions and those of their peers. Sexual health misinformation education provides an opportunity to improve students' ability to recognize questionable information, assess information sources, verify health claims, and seek credible sexual health information. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of sexual health misinformation education on sexual health information verification among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Health Literacy Framework, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of susceptibility to sexual and reproductive health problems, perceived severity, perceived benefits of obtaining accurate information, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their information-verification practices. The Health Literacy Framework emphasizes students' ability to access, understand, critically evaluate, and appropriately use sexual health information. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, peer influence, self-efficacy, social environment, and behavioural reinforcement in developing responsible health-information practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how sexual health misinformation education may influence sexual health information verification among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Sexual health misinformation education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of common sexual health misinformation, identification of unreliable sources, evaluation of online health claims, recognition of misleading statistics and testimonials, identification of credible health institutions, appropriate use of search engines and health websites, fact-checking strategies, source comparison, and consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. Sexual health information verification will be assessed using indicators such as checking the source of sexual health information, comparing information across credible sources, verifying health claims before accepting or sharing them, checking publication dates and supporting evidence, identifying qualified health professionals or recognized health institutions as reliable sources, distinguishing opinion from evidence-based information, recognizing misleading or sensational claims, consulting healthcare professionals when information is unclear, and avoiding the sharing of unverified sexual health information. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized health-literacy assessment tools, scenario-based sexual health information verification tasks, digital-health literacy assessments, and relevant university health programme records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' characteristics, sources of sexual health information, exposure to misinformation education, information-verification knowledge, and verification practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of sexual health misinformation education on sexual health information verification. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, information-verification scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that sexual health misinformation education has a significant positive effect on sexual health information verification among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and practical misinformation education are expected to demonstrate stronger abilities to identify, evaluate, and verify sexual health information than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve students' ability to distinguish credible health information from rumours, personal opinions, misleading advertisements, fabricated claims, and unsupported online content. Practical exercises involving common sexual health misinformation scenarios may strengthen students' ability to check sources, compare claims with information from recognized health institutions, evaluate supporting evidence, and seek professional advice when necessary. Improved verification practices may also reduce the likelihood that students will accept or share inaccurate sexual health information with peers. However, limited digital health literacy, peer influence, cultural sensitivity surrounding sexual-health discussions, stigma, reliance on social-media platforms, low trust in formal health sources, information overload, and rapid circulation of online misinformation may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally sensitive, evidence-based, and sustained sexual health misinformation education to contribute significantly to improved sexual health information verification among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on sexual health misinformation, sexual health literacy, digital health literacy, health information verification, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infection prevention, university student health, health education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, universities, university health centres, healthcare professionals, reproductive-health organizations, public health practitioners, student organizations, digital-health stakeholders, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving access to accurate sexual health information. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating sexual health misinformation education into university health programmes, strengthening digital health literacy, promoting critical evaluation of online sexual health information, improving students' access to credible reproductive-health resources, encouraging appropriate healthcare consultation, and developing effective health communication strategies for reducing the impact of sexual health misinformation among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Sexual health misinformation education, sexual health information verification, sexual health literacy, digital health literacy, university students, reproductive health, health information, misinformation, health education, Nigeria, public health.