Will comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) help in youth development?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to critically analyse the extant research and help readers understand the ways the school-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) can contribute towards youth development and urge policymakers to implement nationwide good-quality, scientific, culturally relevant, age-appropriate and holistic school-based CSE.

Design/methodology/approach

This literature review has been designed using the extant information available on Google Scholar, Web of Science (WoS) and PubMed.

Findings

The findings of this review inform that there is a significant need amongst the youth of the day for good-quality, scientific, culturally relevant, age-appropriate and holistic school-based CSE. Also, the findings suggest that there are significant associations between school-based CSE and youth development.

Research limitations/implications

This research paper although draws from extant literature about sexuality education and its delivery across the globe, it applies the sexuality education scenario in India.

Practical implications

The findings of this review aim to implicate nationwide policy-level changes to implement CSE in the school curricula. There are more practical behavioural changes that CSE could foster amongst students, which are discussed in the review.

Social implications

Due to the behavioural changes that CSE could foster amongst students, it may help in the upbringing of responsible citizens who are free of health complications, who can make independent health-related decisions and look after each other in the community.

Originality/value

This review is an original contribution from the author. Whilst there is extant literature about CSE and youth development, this article fills the void by investigating the interdependent contributions that both the concepts can make to one another and encourages more research on this topic.

Citation

Ramaswamy, H.H.S. (2021), "Will comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) help in youth development?", Health Education, Vol. 121 No. 2, pp. 140-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-10-2020-0104