Abstract
A systematic literature review was undertaken to investigate the cultural conflicts that arise in secondary school-based sexuality education programmes and how stakeholders respond to and navigate these conflicts. This review is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final selection of 23 documents from the literature was made for analysis. Thematic analysis of the documents revealed four key themes. The first theme examines the interplay between culture and conflict in sexuality education, highlighting how cultural contexts can trigger or oppose it. The second theme focuses on the roles of stakeholders in cultural conflicts, exposing power imbalances within their influence on youth sexuality education. The third theme explores diverse stakeholder responses to cultural conflicts, ranging from silence to negotiation and conflict-informed teaching approaches. Lastly, the fourth theme investigates how conflicts shape and drive transformative changes in sexuality education, including the adoption of innovative approaches and the recognition of it as a human right. In conclusion, this article outlines the implications of these identified themes for sexuality education.