Sexual health and wellbeing
We have a well-established national leadership role in sexual health and wellbeing, with longstanding Commonwealth government funding for research that directly informs relevant strategies.
This thematic area focuses on the sexual health, rights, wellbeing and education of people in Australia, including exploration of themes such as:
- sexual communication and consent
- comprehensive approaches to sexual health promotion, education, rights and advocacy
- sexual practices, bodies and pleasure
- prevention of sexually transmissible infections (STIs)
- sexual health and wellbeing in digital spaces
- technologies and digital sexual literacy
We also track young people’s sexual health knowledge and practice, and their experiences of school-based relationships and sexuality education.
Our projects include:
- Secondary Students and Sexual Health 8
- Secondary Students and Sexual Health 7
- Beyond 'The Talk': Supporting parents and carers to speak with children about sex, relationships and consent
- Building an integrated support system for young people's sexual health and wellbeing
- Addressing gender and sexuality in drug education
- Improving digital sexual literacy in Australia (DigiSex)
- Relationships and sexual health teacher survey
- Youth Advisory Board, including 2025 Youth Summit
- Tech Sex - technology, sexuality and the law
- Understanding the health and social wellbeing needs of sex workers in Victoria
- Young people, sexual literacy and sources of knowledge.
The 3rd Australian Survey of Teachers of Relationships and Sexuality Education 2026
Understanding training and support needs
Exploring the experiences of teachers, external specialist educators, school-based adolescent health nurses, school leaders, and other school staff involved in delivering or supporting relationships and sexuality education across Australian schools.
Understanding sex, health, and relationships among bi+ people in Australia: 
Key findings from the first Bi+ Sexual Health and HIV Study (BiSHH) 2024-2025
This new study, led by the Kirby Institute at UNSW in collaboration with ARCSHS, is the first national survey of sex, health and relationships specifically for the bi+ community in Australia.
Download the BiSSH Report
Read the press release
Review key findings
Beyond 'The Talk'
Supporting parents and carers to speak with children about sex, relationships and consent
What supports parents and carers to have conversations with their school-aged children about sex, relationships, and consent?
We examined the challenges and barriers parents face in initiating and sustaining meaningful conversations with their children on these topics, as well as the strategies they employ to encourage such discussions.
Building an integrated support system for young people's sexual health and wellbeing 
Strengths, challenges and future directions for the non-government sector
This report outlines the role of non-government organisations in supporting young people’s sexual health and wellbeing in Australia.
Addressing gender and sexuality in drug education: 
Summary report of project publications, recommendations, and an audit tool for educators, researchers and other professionals
This report presents a summary of findings and recommendations from an Australian Research Council–funded project examining how gender and sexuality inform the design and delivery of drug education in Australia and how related issues shape young people’s perspectives on drug education and experiences of alcohol and other drug consumption.
The Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health Survey 1992-2025: Impact report
This report aims to describe the significance and reach of the SSASH survey, to demonstrate how it has contributed to better understanding of the sexual health needs of secondary-school aged young people.
The 8th Australian Survey of Secondary Students and Sexual Health
A national study exploring the sexual health and wellbeing of school-age young people in Australia
7th National survey of secondary students and sexual health (SSASH 7) 
Our flagship national study exploring the sexual health and well-being of school-age young people in Australia, including experiences of sex, relationships, sexual health and school-based relationships and sexuality education (RSE).
Building young people's sexual literacy in digital spaces 
Exploring effective approaches to digital sexual health promotion with young people, including how young people engage in online environments with topics of sex, sexuality, sexual health, relationships and bodies, as well as identifying innovative approaches to online sexual literacy education and sexual health promotion, and exploring ways to maximise the potential of the internet to support classroom-based relationships and sexuality education
Understanding the health and social wellbeing needs of sex workers in Victoria 
This report presents findings on the health and social wellbeing needs of sex workers in Victoria, to identify best practice for policy and service provision.
Automating safety and consent in digital dating culture: Negotiations of safety, risk and wellbeing
In the ARCSHS August Research & Practice Seminar, held on August 18 2021, Professor Kath Albury of Swinburne University reflects on the measures users of dating apps actually take to keep themselves safe, as compared to the public and media narratives about online safety.