A Review of the Evidence: Sexuality Education for Young People in Digital Spaces || Paper commissioned for Switched on: Sexuality education in the digital space

This desk review examines the available evidence on the extent to which digital content can influence knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents and young people (aged 10–24 years), and looks at the potential for digital spaces to be used to add value to the delivery of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Technologies are constantly changing, so this report should be seen as a snapshot of the evidence at a specific point in time. The report is in two parts. Part 1 explores which young people engage with digital spaces and how; social media influencers; the intersections between pornography and sexuality education; and lessons from mHealth and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. To do this, it draws on purposive searches of the literature, the knowledge and expertise of the interdisciplinary team of researchers, and recommendations from a range of experts. Part 2 draws on a robust review of the literature on interventions designed to educate young people about sexuality. It focuses on existing evidence in five key areas: (1) reaching and engaging young people; (2) influence and impact; (3) opportunities and risks; (4) content, guidelines and standards; and (5) literature gaps. The report concludes with recommendations for greater ongoing engagement in this evolving space.

This paper was commissioned by the section of Health and Education at UNESCO as a background paper for “Switched on: Sexuality education in the digital space”, a symposium held in Istanbul, Turkey, held on 19 – 21 February 2020. It has not been edited by the team. The ideas and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to UNESCO.