October 1, 2025

Bridging Disciplines, Empowering Students: A Scoping Review Protocol for K–12 Sexual Health Education (Preprint)

Key Points

The review identifies gaps in sexual health education curricula across the U.S., highlighting the need for comprehensive programs.
Examining existing research on K-12 sexual health education, it aims to recommend actionable strategies for educators and policymakers.
The methodology includes reviewing studies published in English, focusing on interdisciplinary aspects of sexual health education.
The findings will support the development of equitable and effective sexual health education, ultimately improving adolescent well-being.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Sexual health education is a critical aspect of adolescent development, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to make informed decisions about their well-being. Despite its importance, sexual health education in the United States remains inconsistent, with only a minority of states mandating comprehensive, inclusive, and evidence-based curricula. Addressing these disparities, this study evaluates the current landscape of interdisciplinary collaboration and delivery of sexual health education programs for K-12 students. OBJECTIVE By examining existing research and program outcomes, this scoping review aim to provide actionable recommendations for educators and policymakers to foster equitable, holistic, and effective sexual health education. METHODS Studies considered for inclusion are those focused on children and adolescent sexual health programs with interdisciplinary collaboration (including medicine, social work, psychology, nursing, dental). Studies will be limited to those published in English within the United States from inception to November 2024. Five electronic databases, namely PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC, APAPsycInfo, and CINAHL will be searched for published reports. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts. The reviewers will then assess the full texts selected. In both cases, disagreements will be discussed with a third reviewer and consensus will be achieved. Data analysis will be descriptive with a narrative summary. RESULTS As this study does not have the direct involvement of human participants, an institutional ethical review will not be warranted. CONCLUSIONS As this study does not have the direct involvement of human participants, an institutional ethical review will not be warranted. CLINICALTRIAL This protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework Repository (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/U894B)

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Cite This Study

Estrada et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68dd9537fe798ba2fc4997e2 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.85041

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