Digital Health Interventions for Sexual Health Education Among Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Scoping Review.

Abstract

Background: Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience persistent barriers to accessing comprehensive and developmentally appropriate sexual health education. Conventional curricula often fail to reflect their cognitive, social, and communication needs, increasing vulnerability to misinformation and sexual exploitation. Digital health interventions offer a promising avenue to deliver tailored, interactive, and accessible learning experiences for adolescents with ASD.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the evidence on digital health interventions designed to provide sexual health education to adolescents with ASD.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's framework, refined with Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and reported following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) standards. In total, 6 databases (ie, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched from 2010 to June 2025. Eligible studies involved adolescents aged 10 to 19 years with ASD, used digital platforms to deliver sexual or reproductive health education, and were published in English. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted, and synthesized data using descriptive and thematic approaches.

Results: A total of 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries and delivered content through video-based, web-based, or mobile modalities. Key features associated with positive learning outcomes included personalization, strong visual interactivity, and caregiver involvement. Reported improvements focused on sexual knowledge, behavioral understanding, and user acceptability. However, methodological limitations were common, including small and nonrepresentative samples, a lack of standardized outcome measures, and minimal gender-specific or culturally adapted content. Notably, co-design with autistic adolescents and implementation in low- and middle-income countries was scarce.

Conclusions: Digital health interventions demonstrate promising early effectiveness for delivering inclusive, developmentally appropriate sexual health education to adolescents with ASD. To advance this field, future research must strengthen methodological rigor, include diverse and gender-balanced populations, use participatory design, and ensure cultural adaptability to support equitable access globally.