A sexual health education program for Muslim university students in Turkey was found to be highly acceptable and effective at increasing sexual health knowledge, with 96.5% of students reporting they liked the education and post-test knowledge scores significantly higher than pre-test scores.
The majority of Muslim university students found the sexual health education program highly acceptable across multiple dimensions.
The sexual health education program significantly improved sexual health knowledge among Muslim university students.
The sexual health education program consisted of five structured sessions delivered in an online format.
The authors concluded the program was adopted by Muslim university students and may be valuable in societies with similar religious beliefs.
This research suggests that a structured sexual health education program can be both well-received and effective among Muslim university students in Turkey. The study enrolled 286 first-year university students (207 female, 79 male) who participated in five sessions of sexual health education delivered online. Nearly all participants reported positive attitudes toward the program, with over 96% saying they liked it, found it useful, and intended to use what they learned. Students' knowledge about sexual health measurably improved from before to after the program, and this was assessed again at 30 and 60 days after completion. This matters because sexual and reproductive health topics are often considered sensitive or taboo in Muslim-majority societies, leaving many young people without access to accurate information. This study suggests that with appropriate design and delivery, sexual health education programs can overcome cultural and religious barriers to acceptability. The high rates of student approval and demonstrated knowledge gains indicate that such programs are not only feasible but welcomed by students themselves. The authors suggest these findings could be relevant for other countries with similar religious and cultural contexts, where formal sexual health education is often lacking. However, since the study used a one-group design without a control group and was conducted at a single site in Turkey, further research with more rigorous designs would be needed to confirm how broadly these results might apply.
Karatana &, Beyhan A, Ergün A. (2025). Effectiveness and Acceptability of a Sexual Health Education Program for Muslim Countries: An Intervention Study.. Archives of sexual behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03111-8