Parent-based sexual health education interventions positively impact various aspects of parent-adolescent sexual health communication and behavior, suggesting the effectiveness of the intervention in different social, cultural, and economic contexts.
Parent-based sexual health education interventions had a positive effect on parent-reported sexual health communication frequency.
Parent-based sexual health education interventions had a positive effect on adolescent-reported sexual health communication frequency.
Parent-based sexual health education interventions had a positive effect on parental attitude toward sexual health communication.
Parent-based sexual health education interventions had a positive effect on parental self-efficacy.
The majority of included studies were conducted in high-income countries, with limited representation from low- and middle-income nations.
Most included studies involved only mothers, with limited paternal participation.
The majority of included studies were based on theoretical frameworks.
This research synthesized findings from 51 studies published between 2013 and 2023 to understand whether programs that teach parents how to talk to their children about sexual health actually work. The researchers combined results statistically (meta-analysis) to get an overall picture of the evidence. They looked at four key outcomes: how often parents say they talk to their kids about sexual health, how often adolescents say those conversations happen, parents' attitudes toward having those conversations, and parents' confidence in their ability to have them. The research suggests that these parent-focused programs have meaningful positive effects on all four outcomes. Parents who received the interventions reported talking more frequently with their adolescents about sexual health, and adolescents confirmed this increase. Parents also came away with more positive attitudes and greater confidence (self-efficacy) about having these conversations. The boost in parental self-efficacy was the strongest effect found. These benefits appeared to hold across different social, cultural, and economic settings, suggesting the programs are broadly applicable. However, the study also highlights important gaps in the existing research. Most of the studies were conducted in wealthy, high-income countries, meaning much less is known about how well these programs work in lower-income settings. Additionally, the majority of studies focused only on mothers, leaving fathers largely understudied. This research suggests that expanding parent-based sexual health education programs—and studying them more broadly across different countries and with greater father involvement—could be a valuable strategy for improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes globally.
Gutu B, Mahimbo A, Percival N, Demant D. (2025). Effect of Parent-Based Sexual Health Education on Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health. https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.70029