COVID Pandemic Impacted Middle School Sexual Health Education, Study Finds

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected middle school students' engagement and openness in sexual health education, according to recent research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition held in Denver. During the study, researchers compared two groups of 7th-grade students who participated in an eight-lesson sexual health course—one group during the 2018–2019 school year and the other in the 2023–2024 school year. Following the lessons, students completed questionnaires assessing their knowledge and attitudes toward sexual health topics.

Findings revealed that although both groups showed interest in learning about sexual health, the more recent students exhibited higher levels of negative feelings and misconceptions regarding the subject. This suggests that the pandemic's disruptions may have hindered emotional and social learning essential to effective sexual education.

Parker Haddock, a medical student at Brown University and the study's lead author, emphasized the importance of not only transmitting factual information but also fostering confidence and positive beliefs about sexual health. "To promote healthy decision-making, we need to adapt sexual education to address students' emotional needs and belief systems," Haddock explained.

The researchers argue that these results underscore the urgent need to revamp and enhance sexual health curricula, making them more responsive to students' current psychological and social realities. They advocate for evolving educational strategies to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to make safe and informed choices in their lives.

This study highlights the wider impact of the pandemic on youth education and stresses the importance of restoring comprehensive social and emotional learning to support adolescents' overall well-being and health.