Study finds sexual health education less effective after COVID-19

Study finds sexual health education less effective after COVID-19 | Image Credit: © Евгения Крупель - stock.adobe.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted multiple facets of education, including how middle school students engage with sexual health education. New research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference & Exhibition in Denver examined how students’ knowledge and beliefs about sexual health differed before and after the pandemic.^1,2

The study, titled Sex Ed by Brown Med: The Impact of COVID-19 on Middle Schoolers’ Sexual Health Education, was led by Parker Haddock, a medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Researchers compared two cohorts of seventh graders who participated in an eight-lesson sexual health education program—one group during the 2018–2019 academic year and another during the 2023–2024 school year. The curriculum was taught by medical student volunteers and covered topics including communication and consent, sexual health decision-making and safe sex practices, healthy relationships, puberty and reproductive health, and gender identity and sexual orientation.

Students in both groups completed pre- and post-program questionnaires to assess their knowledge and beliefs. Results showed that while students consistently increased their knowledge across all domains, there were key differences in belief outcomes between the cohorts. In the pre-pandemic group, students demonstrated significantly improved beliefs about sexual health practices after completing the program. In contrast, the post-pandemic group showed no measurable change in beliefs following the curriculum.

These findings support broader concerns about the long-term impact of the pandemic on student engagement and emotional learning. “The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in students being less engaged and open about sexual education when compared with other middle school classes,” the researchers noted in the conference presentation. The study authors emphasized that while knowledge gains remain intact, the diminished influence on beliefs underscores the difficulty of fostering behavioral change in today’s educational climate.

Haddock explained the implications of these results: “Middle schoolers are learning the facts about sexual health, but that's only half of the battle. If we want students to make healthy choices, we need to teach sexual health in ways that foster not just knowledge, but belief and confidence, and result in real-world application.”

The research team noted that negative beliefs about sexual health can have serious consequences for adolescents. Effective sexual health education has been shown to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections, in addition to providing students with the skills to make safe and informed decisions about relationships and sexual activity. Without belief shifts, however, students may struggle to apply what they have learned.

The study also highlights the pandemic’s broader influence on attitudes toward school-related topics. According to the authors, interruptions in routine learning and reduced access to supportive resources may have contributed to a decline in openness and engagement among middle schoolers. This aligns with existing literature documenting post-pandemic shifts in educational engagement across a range of subjects.

Researchers emphasized that the findings point to an urgent need to evolve sexual health education curricula. “Sexual health curriculum needs to evolve so it can meet students where they are at and give them the tools they will need,” Haddock said. This perspective reflects the importance of adapting not only the content but also the delivery of education to address students’ social and emotional needs.

The authors concluded that enhancing sexual health education to better connect with students’ lived experiences will be essential for restoring both confidence and engagement. As Haddock noted, “If we want students to make healthy choices, we need to teach sexual health in ways that foster not just knowledge, but belief and confidence.”

References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. COVID pandemic disrupted sex ed for middle school students. Eurekalert. September 26, 2025. Accessed September 26, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1098933?
2. Haddock P. Sex Ed by Brown Med: The Impact of COVID-19 on Middle Schoolers’ Sexual Health Education. Abstract. Presented at: American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition. September 26-30, 2025. Denver, Colorado.