Summary of studies included in the review
Study | CASP score out of 10 | Country where study undertaken | Population and setting | Method/Data gathering | Aims/Objectives | Key findings |
Glikman and Elkayam27 | 8 | Israel | Students enrolled in various departments of a teacher-education college (n=264) Participants’ mean age was 31.6 years | Quantitative Used surveys— questionnaire | To understand the beliefs of college students on the importance of discussing the issue of sexual orientation with pupils, and in different educational settings. |
|
Donovana and Hester31 | 7 | UK | Four focus groups with lesbians, gay men, heterosexual women and men; and 67 interviews with heterosexual women and men, and those with experience of same-sex relationships regardless of how they defined their sexuality | Multimethod research project Nationwide survey— followed by focus groups and Interviews | To compare love and violence in heterosexual and same-sex relationships. |
|
Mustanski et al 34 | 5.5 | USA (online) | LGBTQI+ youth aged16–20 years (n=202) | Mixed methods Pretest survey Intervention 2 weeks later—post-test survey | To assess the feasibility, acceptability and initial efficacy of an innovative online sexual health promotion programme tailored for LGBTI+ youth. |
|
Buston and Hart30 | 7 | Scotland | 25 schools (non-denominational) co-educational state schools 60 lessons, teachers (n=173), pupils (n=7630) | Multimethod evaluative study SHARE (Sexual Health and Relationships: Safe, Happy and Responsible) programme delivered over 3-year period (intervention) Or Sex education ‘as usual’ (control) | To establish if a specifically designed teacher led sex education programme would reduce sexual risk taking. |
|
Rhodes33 | 6 | USA (online) | Male chat room users (n=619) Web address and chat room name not published to protect participant identity | Mixed method Intervention 6 hours per day in chat group Chat transcripts analysed and coded for themes Demographic data analysed using SPSSStatistics for Windows, Version 23.0. | To explore an online intervention to reduce sexual risk in a chatroom frequented by men who have sex with men (MSM). |
|
Hillier and Mitchell29 | 9 | Australia | Same-sex-attracted youth (n=1749) aged 14–21 years | A self-complete survey either online or in printed format Analysed Quantitative using SPSS Qualitative was coded in Excel | To examine whether same-sex-attracted young people are being exposed to appropriate and relevant sex education at school, and if they are not whether it is necessary that sex education be inclusive of sexual difference. |
|
Gowen and Winges-Yanez16 | 9 | Oregon, USA | LGBTQI+ participants (n=30) in two LGBTI youth organisations in Oregon | 5 semi-structured focus groups Digitally recorded and transcribed for analysis and coded into themes | To examine perspectives of LGBTQI+ youth on their experiences with school-based sexuality education in order to create a framework of LGBTI+Q inclusive sexuality education. |
|
Baams et al 26 | 7 | Utrecht, The Netherlands | Dutch adolescents (n=601) from six different high schools in grades 10–12 Representing urban, suburban and rural areas | 3 wave longitudinal research project The first wave was conducted in Fall 2014, followed by two subsequent measurements after 4 and 8 months This study focuses on the first and third measurement waves | To examine whether the content or extensiveness of sexuality education at the beginning of the school year is related to a decrease in LGBTI+Q name-calling and an increase in the willingness to intervene when witnessing LGBTI+Q name-calling at the end of the school year. |
|
MacMaster et al 20 | 4 | California, USA | Asian and Pacific Islander MSM in Santa Clara County, California. Number of participants and demographic data was not provided | Qualitative chat room discussions | To test the impact of an internet-based outreach to ‘high-risk’ MSM living in Santa Clara County. |
|
Formby23 | 9 | England, UK | Findings from three small studies drawn together LGBTI+ youth (n=375) aged 13–23 years | Qualitative Self-completion surveys and/or in-depth interviews/focus groups | To examine influences on sexual activity, conceptualisations/understandings of sexual health and ‘safe sex’, and expectations in relation to safer sex. |
|
Lindroth et al 32 | 8 | Sweden | Descriptive statistics from web-based survey (n=796) and qualitative interview study with transgender people (n=20) Total n=816 | Mixed methods Descriptive statistics from a previous web-based survey and previous qualitative interview study with transgender people were combined | To explore and describe holistic sexual health and sexual health determinants among transgender people in Sweden. |
|
Sherlock22 | 5 | Sweden and Ireland | Sexuality education professionals in Ireland (n=17) and Sweden (n=17) | Qualitative Interviews | To examine the sociopolitical influences on sexuality education in Sweden and Ireland. |
|
DeHaan et al 35 | 8 | USA (online) | LGBTI+ youth (n=32) Aged 16–24 years | 60–90 min semi-structured interviews Transcribed into EthnoNotes a mixed methods analysis programme | To investigate the interplay between online and offline explorations of multiple dimensions of sexual health, which include sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual identities, romantic relationships and sexual behaviour. |
|
Hobaica and Kwon18 | 8 | Washington, USA | N=12 people from sexual minorities (SM) SM included: lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, demisexual and asexual | Qualitative study, 40–90 minsemi-structured interviews | To explore SM experiences of sexual health education. | Heteronormative sex education may contribute to poor physical health outcomes for SMs.
|
Riggs and Bartholomaeus21 | 9 | Adelaide, Australia | Seven videos by transgender young people (n=5) aged 18–25 years | Analyse discussions of intimacy from the perspectives of transgender young people as narrated in a sample of YouTube videos | To examine what transgender young people would like to see covered in sexuality education. |
|
Abbott et al 14 | 8 | UK | Eightsemi-structured interviews with relationship and sexuality education teachers (n=2) | Qualitative discursive psychological approach used to analyse interview data | An analysis of how teachers uphold heteronormative sex and relationship education. |
|
Hoefer and Hoefer19 | 7 | Texas, USA | N=16 students at a Southwestern University who identified as one or more of the following: female, LGBT or person of colour | Qualitative recorded in-person interviews | To examine the impact of abstinence-only sex education curricula. |
|
Haley et al 17 | 9 | Seattle, USA | Transgender and non-binary (TNB) youth (n=11), parents (n=5) and healthcare affiliates (n=5) from Seattle Children’s gender clinic | Qualitative In-depth interviews analysed using thematic analysis | To use insights of TNB youth, parents of TNB youth and healthcare affiliates to understand deficits in sex education experienced by TNB youth. |
|
Cahill et al 15 | 9 | USA | Youth serving professionals including: adolescent health providers, school nurses, youth workers, and school educators (n=34) | Qualitative study | To explore barriers and facilitators that professionals face in delivering HIV preventive services and education. |
|
Pampati et al 36 | 9 | International | Sexual and gender minority youth (with a mean age of between 10 and 24 years) | Systematic review | To synthesise the diverse body of literature on sexual and gender minority youth and sexual health education. |
|
Andrzejewski et al 37 | 8 | USA | Websites with sexual and reproductive health content for adolescents and young adults | Systematic Google search | To characterise the strengths and weaknesses of sexual and gender minority related messages from websites that address sexual and reproductive health for young people. |
|
Nelson et al.28 | 6 | USA | Adolescent males interested in sex with males aged 14–17 years, cisgender, self-identify as gay, bisexual or are sexually attracted to males, reside in the USA and had an email address | Quantitative Study | To determine where adolescent males interested in sex with males receive sexual health information, clarify their preferences and explore relations with sexual behaviour. |
|
Formby and Donovan24 | 9 | England | Young people aged 14–25 years who identified as a gender or sexual minority | Qualitative study | To examiner what LGBT inclusive sex and relationships education should address in practice. |
|
Narushima et al 25 | 8 | Canada | Young people involved in the Youth Engagement Project in Canada | Qualitative study | To explore the perspectives and experiences of youth to identify the key elements of innovation, strength-focused and youth-driven sexual health education that will reduce sexual health disparities among marginalised youth. |
|
CASP, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme; LGBTQI+, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendeer, Queer, Intersex.