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Review

Inclusion Goals: What Sex Education for LGBTQIA+ Adolescents?

Institute of Clinical Sexology, 00198 Rome, Italy
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2024, 11(8), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080966 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 13 July 2024 / Revised: 3 August 2024 / Accepted: 9 August 2024 / Published: 10 August 2024

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) Declaration of Sexual Rights, sex education aims to provide children and adolescents with comprehensive knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, promoting equality and nondiscrimination while upholding freedom of thought and expression. However, current school curricula often focus on dichotomous sexual identity and hetero-cis-normative prevention strategies, neglecting the needs of gender minority (GM) and sexual minority (SM) youths. In family settings, discussions typically revolve around sexual risk reduction and basic contraception, omitting relational aspects and components of sexual identity such as orientations and gender expressions. This discrepancy highlights a gap between the official goals of sex education and its practical implementation, reflecting a cultural deficit in familial sex education. This study reviews the scientific literature on sexual health promotion interventions from 2015 to 2024 to identify inclusive approaches that enhance the participation of all youths, not just hetero-cis-normative individuals. The hypothesis is that most interventions primarily serve heterosexual and cisgender youths, indicating a need for more inclusive strategies to achieve better sexual health and educational outcomes. The study also suggests expanding curricula to align with recognized guidelines and the diverse needs of youth.
Keywords: inclusive sex education; LGBTQIA+ youths; sexual rights; parent-adolescent sex communication; school programs; sex educator professional program inclusive sex education; LGBTQIA+ youths; sexual rights; parent-adolescent sex communication; school programs; sex educator professional program

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Eleuteri, S.; Girardi, M.; Spadola, R.; Todaro, E. Inclusion Goals: What Sex Education for LGBTQIA+ Adolescents? Children 2024, 11, 966. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080966

AMA Style

Eleuteri S, Girardi M, Spadola R, Todaro E. Inclusion Goals: What Sex Education for LGBTQIA+ Adolescents? Children. 2024; 11(8):966. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080966

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eleuteri, Stefano, Marta Girardi, Rossella Spadola, and Elisabetta Todaro. 2024. "Inclusion Goals: What Sex Education for LGBTQIA+ Adolescents?" Children 11, no. 8: 966. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080966

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