What Adolescents Want to Know About Sex and Relationships: A Thematic Analysis of Adolescents’ Questions

Adolescents receive inadequate sexual health information from various sources, leaving gaps in sexual and relational knowledge. Exploring unanswered questions among adolescents will help identify these important gaps. Through an online survey with U.S. adolescents, participants (<i>N</i>= 248, <i>M</i> _<i>age</i> = 15.93, 20.9% trans, 60.7% queer) listed a question they or other teens have about sex or relationships. Using thematic analysis, we identified seven major themes (i.e., <i>Relationships</i>, <i>Sexual Activity</i>, <i>Thoughts and Opinions about Sex</i>, <i>Health</i>, <i>Communication</i>, <i>LGBTQ+ topics</i>, <i>Sex Education</i>) and 13 subthemes. We also explored patterns by gender and sexual identity. Responses covered a wide array of topics, including questions on the identification of romantic feelings, STI/STD prevention, and anticipation of one's first sexual encounter. Themes of <i>Relationships</i> and <i>Sexual Activity</i> were most prevalent. Patterns in the data varied, suggesting that queer and trans participants, as well as their cisgender and heterosexual peers, have specific unanswered questions regarding sexuality and relationships.