The Need for Community-Responsive and Flexible Sex Ed for Historically Marginalized Youth

Abstract

Introduction When it is offered, sexuality education in the USA is far from standardized. While studies have explored differences in delivery and type of sexuality education across the USA, sexual and reproductive health inequities persist among historically marginalized groups (Latino/a/x, Black, African American, LGBTQ +). There is a critical need to better understand the systemic barriers to receiving effective sexuality education in these communities. Methods Participatory research methods were used in working with a community advisory board (CAB)—consisting of emerging adults and service providers from community-based organizations (CBOs) serving youth—to examine how structural barriers contribute to adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) inequities in Massachusetts. CAB meetings and semi-structured interviews were conducted in the cities of Springfield ( n = 14) and Lynn ( n = 9) between December 2020 and May 2021. Results Inflexible funding guidelines, a related evidence-based curricular mandate, and a lack of community-responsive sexuality education fail to meet the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of these youth. Conclusions Current evidence-based mandates must be revisited to improve young people’s access to quality sexuality information in public schools. To guarantee sexuality education curricula is centered in the context of the community and population in which it is implemented, collaboration between youth-serving CBOs and school districts could improve students’ overall experience and social-emotional growth by providing comprehensive, positive, and community-responsive curricula. Policy Implications Funders and programming should prioritize community responsiveness by financially supporting and developing and/or adapting evidence-based curricula to better match the community’s needs, which can be completed through culture-centered training and community-based partnership.

“Ripping off the band-aid”: uncovering future health care professionals' “fractured knowledge” about sexual and reproductive health

“…Our research setting, the campus' unique student health services infrastructure, and its' institutional emphasis on medicine and health care may have influenced our participants' reflections and responses about sexual and reproductive health and their recommendations to increase their knowledge on these issues. In line with recent scholarly work on the experiences of young adults' learning about sex (6,59, 84), we underline the importance of comprehensive sexual health education in K-12 and post-secondary settings and reccomend that future research assesses the unique needs of cis-gendered men, transgender individuals, and other populations of young adults.…”

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Female Masturbation Practices amongst Different Populations and Age Groups

“…These curricula frame sexuality as a normal part of life and are medically accurate, LGBTQ inclusive, and culturally and age appropriate" [32]. Isabella Caruso's article also points out contributing factors include funding budgets, inadequate updating of the curriculum per specific community and systemic barriers to the delivery of sexual education to adolescents especially to the previously marginalized Latino, Black, African American and LGBTQ+ communities [33].…”

Estrategias didácticas inclusivas para la educación integral de la sexualidad en adolescentes

“…Las desigualdades en el acceso a espacios y servicios sobre salud sexual y reproductiva afectan, especialmente, a los grupos históricamente marginados, tales como niñas y adolescentes, poblaciones indígenas y afrodescendientes, niñez y adolescencia en condición de movilidad humana, personas con algún tipo de discapacidad o aquellas caracterizadas como neuro diversas. En esta línea se requiere desarrollar investigaciones cualitativas y cuantitativas, con la participación de la niñez y adolescencia, que permitan un acercamiento sistémico a las barreras que impiden el derecho a la salud sexual y reproductiva por parte de todas las diversidades (Caruso et al 2023). Saeteros et al (2018) propone combinar el diagnóstico participativo sobre temáticas referidas a la salud sexual y reproductiva, en adolescentes y jóvenes con la tutoría entre pares.…”