What do we know about sex education of people with intellectual disabilities? An umbrella review

Abstract

BackgroundSpecial attention is required when considering any educational intervention aimed at its promotion and development. Our objective is to conduct an umbrella review of systematic reviews that gather evidence from relationships and sex education programmes tailored for individuals with intellectual disabilities.MethodsThe protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses Protocol. Systematic reviews were identified through a search in Web of Science, SCOPUS and PsychINFO, using the descriptors: ‘intellectual disab*’ AND ‘sex*’AND ‘systematic’.FindingsThe results of the nine reviews included in the meta‐review yield relevant outcomes related to 50 sex education interventions carried out with people with intellectual disabilities. This provided the opportunity to delve into the characteristics of these interventions to ascertain the accomplishments achieved to date.ConclusionsThe findings serve as foundation to propose and promote new research on this important area of life, addressing the inequalities identified concerning the sexuality and affective‐sexual education of people with intellectual disabilities. It offers valuable information for the educational, social and healthcare fields, facilitating the design of more effective and rights‐respecting initiatives.