STUDY OBJECTIVES: (1) To investigate how pre-health undergraduates describe their learning experiences with reproductive physiology across K–12 and college contexts, and (2) To identify recommendations for reproductive physiology educators, informed by students’ cultural, educational, and sociopolitical backgrounds, particularly within the Southern United States. HYPOTHESIS: Informed by the Cultural Learning Pathways (CLP) framework, we hypothesized that students’ understanding of reproductive physiology education would reflect significant variation based on personal, educational exposure, cultural exposure and regional influences. METHODOLOGY & DATA: We conducted semi-structured interviews with undergraduate pre-health students (n = 24). Transcripts were coded using a hybrid inductive–deductive approach guided by the Cultural Learning Pathways (CLP) framework. Coding proceeded through iterative cycles in MAXQDA, including the development of an initial codebook, the data were coded to consensus due to the complexity of the dataset with two trained undergraduate researchers. Codes captured participants’ learning experiences across a range of settings where reproductive physiology education could emerge, including with the family, schools, religious institutions, and media. Ongoing codebook revision procedures ensure analytical rigor, reflexivity, and consistency across coders. RESULTS: Preliminary coding revealed that before college, students primarily learned about reproductive topics through family, school, and media/internet. All participants (n = 24/24) referenced family influence, though (n= 12/24) described these conversations as limited or absent. All participants discussed school instruction, which varied widely: several (n= 18/24) described content as objective, over a third of students (n= 9/24), reported receiving abstinence-only teaching, and some (n= 10/24) noted gender-segregated lessons that restricted discussion. Although school was a universal source, seven students emphasized the need for improved, more inclusive curricula that address topics such as basic physiology, gender and sexual identity and relationship-specific sexual health. Media and internet sources were also universal, with roughly half of students actively seeking information and half encountering it incidentally. For some (n= 20/total), the internet provided access to perspectives unavailable in their homes or schools. Very few students (n= 10/total) reported receiving any reproductive guidance from healthcare professionals prior to college. CONCLUSIONS: Students overall enter college with inconsistent and often limited reproductive physiology knowledge, shaped largely by family, school, and media, rather than by healthcare providers or comprehensive academic instruction. School-based teaching was particularly variable, with abstinence-only messaging and gender-segregated lessons frequently reported. Our study demonstrates that meaningful improvements require intentional shifts in undergraduate reproductive physiology education that validates students’ prior knowledge, creates space for open dialogue, and situates biological concepts within their cultural and socio-political contexts. Support or Funding Information: College of Veterinary Medicine Matching Assistantship, University of Georgia. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.
Sovi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.