Capturing Gen Z Voices to Shape Sexual Health Services

Look 👀

In Devon, young people aged 18–24 face a crucial decision: how to actively look after their sexual health. Key behaviours include using condoms, accessing C-Card, and getting tested for STIs.

Commissioners wanted to go beyond assumptions and find out what really motivates or holds back this age group. The behaviour change goal was clear — support Gen Z to feel confident and capable of protecting their sexual health.

Listen 👂

We took a trauma-informed approach, using mixed-method qualitative research to hear directly from young people. Focus groups and individual interviews were captured on video, ensuring their voices could be replayed throughout the commissioning cycle.

Our analysis applied the COM-B model with TDF mapping to explore barriers and motivators in depth. We also developed personas and messaging frameworks grounded in the lived experience of young people.

One young participant described the difficulty of accessing services without fear of judgement, while others spoke about practical barriers such as time, transport and awareness of options. Many highlighted how positive peer norms and confidential, youth-friendly services could make a huge difference.

Learn 📚

The behavioural insights enabled commissioners and service providers to redesign sexual health services with confidence. By listening to hidden voices, the project:

• Identified new barriers that services can now remove.

• Challenged outdated assumptions about young people’s attitudes to sexual health.

• Shaped innovative marketing strategies tailored to Gen Z motivations.

The use of audio and video ensured that young people’s perspectives stayed at the heart of the process — not as one-off quotes, but as lived experience shaping real decisions.

Impact Quote:
“The insight work has been so helpful in seeing things from a different perspective and helped us think differently about the procurement we are embarking on. Hearing the focus groups and individual interviews was so important in helping us really understand the people we are trying to reach with our services. I would highly recommend Ruth and her team.”
— Rachel Humphries, Public Health Specialist, Public Health Devon