“Be explicit to be educated”: using thematic analysis and co-design to investigate and understand sexuality education in Australian high schools

A comprehensive sexuality education is evidenced to provide youth with the skills and knowledge required to promote sexual and reproductive health. Comprehensive sexuality education is recommended globally as an effective intervention for a range of improved sexual health outcomes, including reducing sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies. The Australian curriculum, despite attempts to provide comprehensive guidance for teaching, is unsuccessful in guiding adequate sexuality education for Australian adolescents; observably, its delivery is incohesive, with the relevance and scope varying among students. Simultaneously in Australia, we sustain alarmingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections in young people and an adult population with increasing uptake of assisted reproductive technologies. The diverse identities of adolescents and the changing nature of sexuality in society warrant an in-depth exploration into the ideas and issues of youth in order to provide sexuality education that is reflective of the population it serves and improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes nationally. Utilising thematic analysis methodology, nine focus groups consisting of 2–6 Australian participants aged 15–18-year-old were analysed to better understand what is required within sexuality education. For increased validity and interpretation of data, this project utilised a Youth Advisory Group of four members to validate the thematic analysis. The study’s Youth Advisory Group further engaged in the co-design and development of recommendations for delivering sexuality education in Australia that reflected the thematic findings from the focus groups and their own lived experience. Thematic analysis revealed three prominent themes within focus group participants’ experiences; “culture of sex”, “content of sexuality education” and “sources of sexuality education beyond formal education”. The qualitative analysis revealed evidence of the complex relationship between these themes and Australia’s underperforming sexuality education. While these appear to be objectively undesirable and reflect the flaws within sexuality education, they presented guidance for the recommendations, informing the co-design conducted by the Youth Advisory Group. The findings of this study, together with relevant literature, provide evidence for the complexities of adolescent sexual experience and endorse comprehensive sexuality education in the context of contemporary Australian high schools, promoting the appraisal of current practice for improved sexual and reproductive outcomes in Australia, now and in the future. This study investigated how young Australians experience sexuality education in schools and what can be done to make it better. Sexuality education is important because it helps young people learn about sexual health, relationships, and how to protect themselves from things like sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies. Although Australia’s national curriculum tries to cover these topics, it often falls short. The quality, delivery and content of sex education seem to vary a lot depending on the school and the teacher, with many students feeling it does not meet their needs. At the same time, STIs remain common among young Australians, and more adults need help to have children through medical treatments. To better understand what young people want and need from sex education, researchers talked with teens aged 15–18 in focus groups. A Youth Advisory Group also helped analyse the results and come up with practical suggestions based on both the focus group findings and their own experiences. Three main issues came up: the way sex is viewed in society, what's actually taught in sex ed classes, and where young people learn about sex outside of school. These areas are deeply connected and highlight why Australia’s current approach isn’t working well. The study provides valuable insights into how sex education can be improved in Australia by making it more relevant, inclusive, and reflective of young people's real experiences.