Sex 101
A rapid review of research in the United States on the impacts of college sexual health curricula
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19515862 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shoshana N Benjamin (0000-0003-2453-8609, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University New York, NY, USA, corresponding author), Amy Crandall (0000-0002-8494-5436, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University New York, NY, USA), Jennifer S Hirsch (0000-0001-9038-7832, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University New York, NY, USA) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 272-289 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sex Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-1811 • E-ISSN: 1472-0825 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14681811.2023.2171001 |
| PMID | 38390516 |
| OpenAlex | W4319302750 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 26 |
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) has been shown to have a wide range of positive impacts for K-12 students. Despite its demonstrated benefits, many K-12 students in the USA do not receive CSE. Because of this, college may be an opportune time to teach this information. However, little is known about the impact of CSE at institutions of higher education. To synthesise knowledge about the impacts of college-level sexual health courses in the USA, a review of the topic was conducted. A review searching Ebscohost, ProQuest, PubMed, and Google Scholar was undertaken. Following the search, a second coder reviewed the articles to confirm eligibility. 13 articles, published between 2001 and 2020, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. A wide range of outcomes were reported. These included increased health promoting behaviours, less homophobic and judgemental attitudes around sexuality, improved communication and relationships, and increased understanding of sexual violence. College sexual health courses have high potential efficacy to provide CSE and fill gaps in US students' sexual health knowledge. Future research should corroborate the existing outcomes using randomisation and more diverse samples and examine whether these courses are effective in preventing sexual assault
College health · Curriculum · Environmental health · Family medicine · Human sexuality · Medical education · Pedagogy · Population · Reproductive health · Sexuality education · Sociology · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Clinical Psychology · Gender Studies · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology
Five Steps to Conducting a Systematic Review
Changes in Adolescents' Receipt of Sex Education, 2006–2013
The Effectiveness of Group-Based Comprehensive Risk-Reduction and Abstinence Education Interventions to Prevent or Reduce the Risk of Adolescent Pregnancy, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Sexually Transmitted Infections
Campus climates for sexual minorities
Three Decades of Research
Romantic relationships and mental health
Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a Primary Prevention Strategy for Sexual Violence Perpetration
First-year college students’ experiences of a brief sexual health seminar
Information about human sexuality
Is there a gender difference in US college students’ desire for school-based sexuality education
Effectiveness of undergraduate human sexuality courses in enhancing women’s sexual functioning
Using a college human sexuality course to combat homophobia
Pedagogy and content in sexuality education courses in US colleges and universities
Breaking the taboo
Couple reports of the perceived influences of a college human sexuality course
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |