Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and Sexual Health Education: A Systematic Mapping Review of the Literature

Sanjana Pampati, Michelle M. Johns, Leigh E. Szucs, Meg D. Bishop, Allen B. Mallory, Lisa C. Barrios, Stephen T. Russell

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: To synthesize the diverse body of literature on sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) and sexual health education. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature on SGMY and sexual health education, including SGMY perspectives on sexual health education, the acceptability or effectiveness of programs designed for SGMY, and SGMY-specific results of sexual health education programs delivered to general youth populations. Results: A total of 32 articles were included. Sixteen qualitative studies with SGMY highlight key perspectives underscoring how youth gained inadequate knowledge from sexual health education experiences and received content that excluded their identities and behaviors. Thirteen studies examined the acceptability or effectiveness of sexual health interventions designed for SGMY from which key characteristics of inclusive sexual health education relating to development, content, and delivery emerged. One study found a sexual health education program delivered to a general population of youth was also acceptable for a subsample of sexual minority girls. Conclusions: Future research on SGMY experiences should incorporate populations understudied, including younger adolescents, sexual minority girls, and transgender persons. Further, the effectiveness of inclusive sexual health education in general population settings requires further study.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1040-1052
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Adolescent Health
Volume68
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • Sexual and gender minority youth
  • Sexual and reproductive health
  • Sexual health education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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