Sexual Health Promotion and Dating and Relationship Violence Prevention in Further Education Settings: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective A systematic review was conducted of intervention evaluations addressing sexual health and dating and relationship violence in Further Education (FE) settings or their international counterparts.Methods The databases CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts were searched from inception in November 2017 for randomized trials, controlled before-after studies, matched control studies or interrupted time-series analyses taking place within FE settings or their international analogues. Studies included peer-reviewed literature evaluating interventions to improve sexual health outcomes, prevent dating and relationship violence, or reduce gender-based violence. An updated search was conducted in 2024 through MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and Sociological Abstracts.Results In the 2017 search, a total of 1,724 deduplicated articles were obtained; 178 were retained for the second stage of screening. Ten full texts were reviewed and two were eligible for inclusion. An updated search in 2024 found an additional 389 records, with 33 retained for the second stage of screening, 28 full texts screened and an additional two studies included. A total of four randomized controlled trial studies were included in this systematic review. Findings from each study suggested improvements in sexual health behaviors, but STI testing and treatment, and incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease showed minimal improvement. For dating and relationship violence, there was a reduction in intention for risk-taking behaviors.Conclusions An important gap exists in the availability of high-quality research and robust evaluation of interventions aiming to improve sexual health, dating and relationship or gender-based violence in FE settings, highlighting the urgent need for further research in this area to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.