Pre-service sex education training and teaching practices among special education teachers: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the current status of school-based sex education for children with disabilities (SECD) in Sichuan Province and to examine the association between pre-service sex education learning experience and SECD practice. A stratified random cluster sampling was conducted among 251 teachers from 6 special education schools in Chengdu, Luzhou, and Xichang from March-June 2025. A cross-sectional survey was administered. The survey showed that although > 70% of teachers delivered basic safety reminders, the rate of good SECD practice was only 52.2%, indicating an unsatisfactory status. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that pre-service sex education was independently associated with good SECD practice ( OR = 3.27, 95% CI : 1.134–9.399, P = 0.028). Teachers with such experience had 3.27 times higher odds of good practice. Older teachers, female teachers, and teachers with higher SECD knowledge levels were also more likely to report good practice. These findings suggest that the absence of pre-service training may be a core bottleneck restricting the accessibility of school-based SECD within the framework of the theory of planned behavior. The findings provide scientific evidence for reforming pre-service preparation mechanisms and incorporating sex education training modules to safeguard the sexual health rights of children with disabilities.