Implications for practice and research

• Nursing students have positive attitudes towards addressing sexual health in future practice and this should co-inside with educational opportunities to enable the development of competence and confidence.

• Further research is required to establish the learning gaps between educational opportunities available to nursing students and that of sexual health-related competence within nursing practice.

Context

Sexual health can be defined as one’s physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.1 Nurses often support and adopt a holistic approach to patient care, yet in practice, overlook a person’s sexual health.2 Both nationally and globally, disparities in sexual health are prevalent, even more so among minority groups. The study by Russell et al aimed to establish the gaps in sexual health education for students studying preregistration nursing courses, and whether there was a correlation between lack of learning opportunities …