Student-led study finds sex education fails 2SLGBTQIA+ students

A new student-led study from UBC Okanagan has found that young adults who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ report receiving significantly less affirming and inclusive sexual health education than their cisgender, heterosexual peers.

Yet these same students demonstrate higher levels of sexual health literacy.

The study, led by Phoebe Hodgson, a recent UBCO graduate in gender, women’s and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology, looks at how young adults with different gender and sexual identities experienced sexual education during their high school years.

The research is published in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. The research was also presented at the Inaugural Conference for Critical Social Justice in Psychology at UBC Vancouver.

The paper was co-authored by Laura Moore, also a recent graduate and current lab coordinator, and supervised by Dr. Jessica Lougheed, a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar and an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Hodgson explains that the research team expected 2SLGBTQIA+ young adults to feel excluded from the sex education they received, but the results were unexpected.

“What surprised us is that they knew more about sexual health than their cisgender, heterosexual peers. At first, I thought, ‘Yay! Queer people know about sexual health.’ But then I realized this is because sex education has failed us—we’ve had to educate ourselves.”

The study found that 2SLGBTQIA+ participants were more likely to use the internet and social media for sexual health information compared to other young adults. However, there were no major differences between the groups when it came to learning from parents, peers or television and film. Despite the lack of affirming school-based education, 2SLGBTQIA+ respondents scored higher on a sexual health literacy questionnaire.

Participants also reported on their sexual health behaviors. 2SLGBTQIA+ students said they used some safer sex practices more often than their heterosexual, cisgender peers, but overall, safer sex practices were low across all groups.

“Higher internet use for sexual health information is a symptom of a problem, not a solution,” Hodgson explains. “I’m glad online resources exist to fill the gaps, but school-based education should be comprehensive, accurate and inclusive of all identities.”

The research shows a gap in educational content and a wider public health issue. Hodgson notes this lack of inclusive sex education is happening amid a hostile political climate in parts of Canada and North America, where anti-queer and anti-trans rhetoric is on the rise.

“Sexual health affects everyone,” says Hodgson. “We hope our findings inform curriculum reform, educational policy and future research. Comprehensive sexual health education is a human right.”

Dr. Lougheed notes that 2SLGBTQIA+ young adults show resilience by educating themselves, but warns this self-reliance can be risky.

“When inclusive education is missing, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth look elsewhere. But that can be a problem if the information isn’t accurate or age-appropriate,” says Dr. Lougheed.

Since publication, the team has shared research in accessible formats—like posters, brochures and infographics—to reach educators, policymakers and community groups. Their goal is to keep the conversation going beyond universities.

The team plans to launch a follow-up study that explores why young adults, of all identities, may not practice safer sex.

“Nothing is going to change if we don’t address how school-based sex education overlooks queer youth,” says Hodgson. “Sex is a taboo topic, but it shouldn’t be.”