Digital and data literacies in sexual and reproductive health promotion require strategic organisational capabilities rather than individual skill-building, with dedicated resources and training needed to address digital determinants of health in this sector.
Key Findings
Methods
Key informant interviewees shared concerns related to digital and data literacy, equity, and the challenges of integrating digital technologies into health practice.
Study drew on 29 key informant interviews with sexual and reproductive health professionals
Workshops were also conducted with 18 current sexual and reproductive health professionals aged 18-29
Both groups reflected on how digital and data literacies are currently understood and applied within the Australian sexual and reproductive health promotion sector
The study used an interdisciplinary perspective to explore digital transformation impacts
Results
Findings highlight the need for strategic approaches that shift focus away from individual literacies towards broader organisational capabilities.
Individual digital literacy framing was identified as insufficient for addressing sector needs
Organisational capabilities identified as necessary include understanding of digital policy and platform governance
Understanding of social media content moderation was specifically identified as an organisational capability need
Understanding of how health consumers and service users currently utilise digital systems to support sexual health and wellbeing was identified as a key capability
Results
Digital equity and data justice were identified as organisational-level concerns that can be undermined or advanced in organisational settings.
Understanding of the ways digital equity and data justice can be undermined or advanced in organisational settings was identified as a key capability area
Equity concerns were raised by both key informant interviewees and workshop participants
The study situates these concerns within Australia's rapidly evolving digital policy landscape
Digital determinants of health (DDoH) were framed as relevant to health equity outcomes
Conclusions
The authors conclude that dedicated resources and training are needed to address the complexities of digital determinants of health in the sexual and reproductive health context.
Recommendations were made for enhancing workforce digital and data capabilities
Integration of digital determinants of health (DDoH) into health promotion policy and practice was recommended to improve health equity
The study specifically contextualises these needs within the Australian sexual and reproductive health promotion sector
The need for resources was described as 'significant' by the authors
Results
Platform governance, including social media content moderation, was identified as a critical area of digital policy literacy needed by the sexual and reproductive health workforce.
Content moderation on social media platforms was specifically cited as a governance challenge relevant to health promotion practice
This finding emerged from both key informant interviews and workforce workshops
The rapidly evolving policy landscape in Australia was identified as a contextual challenge
Platform governance was framed as an organisational-level capability rather than an individual worker responsibility
What This Means
This research suggests that Australia's sexual and reproductive health promotion workforce is struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of digital change. The study gathered perspectives from 29 expert interviews and workshops with 18 young health professionals, all of whom raised concerns about how digital technologies, data systems, and online platforms affect their ability to deliver equitable health services. A recurring theme was that current approaches tend to place responsibility on individual workers to develop their own digital skills, which the participants found insufficient given the complexity and scale of the challenges involved.
The research suggests that what is really needed is a shift toward building capabilities at the organisational level — meaning health organisations themselves need to develop better understanding of how digital platforms are governed (for example, how social media companies moderate health-related content), how people actually use digital tools to manage their sexual health, and how digital systems can either worsen or improve health inequalities. These are not problems any one worker can solve on their own, but require coordinated organisational strategies and policies.
This research matters because digital tools — from health apps to social media to telehealth — are now central to how people access sexual and reproductive health information and services. If health organisations lack the knowledge and resources to navigate the digital landscape effectively, disadvantaged populations may be left behind or even harmed by poorly designed digital health initiatives. The authors call for dedicated funding and training programs to build these capabilities across the sector and for digital determinants of health to be formally recognised in health promotion policy.
Albury K, Mannix S. (2025). Digital determinants of sexual and reproductive health-workforce perspectives on digital and data literacies.. Health promotion international. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf013