To date, there is no standard, globally-agreed upon instrument to measure sexual practices, behaviours and sexual health-related outcomes. Instead, many population-representative surveys use their own items and domains, making comparisons and collaboration difficult. To encourage the inclusion of transparent and comparable sexual health-related measures on population-representative surveys, and in response to calls from leading sexual health researchers, the World Health Organization and the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP) has undertaken a four-year multistage process (including consultation and a multi-country study) to develop a standard questionnaire for assessing sexual practices, behaviours, and sexual health-related outcomes. This Sexual Health Assessment of Practices and Experiences (SHAPE) instrument is intended to promote increased research inclusive of sexual practice in diverse global settings.
The SHAPE questionnaire includes a set of priority questions related to sexual practices, behaviours and health-related outcomes that are relevant and understandable to the general population. The questionnaire is a combination of interviewer-administered and self-administered modules, intended to be used across diverse global contexts, with the goal of improving the ability of researchers to collect and compare relevant data on sexual practices and sexual health-related outcomes across countries.
Attend the official launch to learn more about the SHAPE questionnaire, its development and its intended use. Connect with researchers from around the world who were involved in the instrument’s development.