A scoping review found that school nurses make significant contributions to sexual education programs, with youth preferring external, qualified educators such as school nurses to deliver sexual education, though broader geographic representation in research is needed.
Out of 406 unique articles screened, only 17 met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review.
The majority of included studies were from the USA and England, indicating a geographic concentration in the existing literature.
School nurses make significant contributions to sexual education programs in schools.
Young people prefer external, qualified educators such as school nurses to deliver sexual education.
Current sexual health education approaches are perceived by young people as overly focused on negative aspects rather than positive sexuality.
This research suggests that school nurses play an important and meaningful role in delivering sexual health education to young people, but that the current body of research on this topic is heavily concentrated in the United States and England. Researchers screened over 400 scientific articles and found only 17 that met their criteria for examining how school nurses contribute to teaching about sexuality in a positive way — meaning beyond just warnings about sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. Young people themselves, according to the reviewed studies, tend to prefer having outside, qualified professionals like school nurses teach them about sexual health rather than, for example, regular classroom teachers. The study also highlights a disconnect between what young people want from sexual education and what they currently receive. Media reports and research suggest youth feel that sex education focuses too heavily on risks and negative outcomes, leaving out discussions of healthy relationships, pleasure, and positive aspects of sexuality. School nurses, as trusted health professionals working within schools, appear well-positioned to fill this gap. The authors point out that perspectives from Nordic countries and other regions are largely missing from the existing research, which limits how broadly the findings can be applied. This research suggests that expanding both the geographic diversity of studies and the scope of sexual health topics covered in schools — with school nurses playing a central role — could improve how young people learn about and experience sexual health education.
Nymo B, Eriksen S, Øygarden A. (2026). The Role of School Nurses in Promoting Positive Sexual Health Education: A Scoping Review.. The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405251337769