Sexual health education for children and young people with autism and/or intellectual/development disabilities in the Arab world: a systematic literature review of the attitudes and experiences of parents and professionals

Sexual Health Education (SHE) for children with autism and intellectual or development disabilities is a topic that has remained under-researched, especially in the Arab world. In order to assess the scope and quality of existing research, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to explore the attitudes towards and experiences of parents of SHE with their children, covering papers published both in English as well as Arab language. A total of 20 papers were identified. Findings showed that the current states of Arab parents and professionals’ attitudes and experiences revolves around awareness and acceptance of sexual health education programmes as compared to other cultures or countries who discuss the content and best practices for applying these programmes. These issues are examined within the framework of evidence-based practice, emphasizing the critical role of cultural adaptation in enhancing the relevance and efficacy of implementation efforts.