A Qualitative Examination of U.S. Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Higher Education Human Sexuality Courses

Despite decades of research supporting comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), sex education in U.S. K-12 settings remains inconsistent, politically constrained, and often abstinence-based. As a result, higher-education human sexuality courses (HEHSCs) frequently represent students’ first exposure to accurate, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate sexual health content. Prior research documents that HEHSCs improve knowledge, attitudes, and relational competence, yet little is known about how undergraduates (particularly those who have never taken such a course) perceive them. To address this gap, this qualitative study explored students’ views of who enrolls in and teaches HEHSCs, whether such courses should be required, and why students choose to take them. Eighty-eight undergraduates completed four open-ended items analyzed via inductive content analysis. Participants viewed enrollees as women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority (LGBTQ+) students in helping professions. Additionally, instructors were assumed to be inclusive, progressive, and often women or LGBTQ+ scholars. Students were divided on whether HEHSCs should be required: some emphasized autonomy and cost, whereas others cited universal benefits for empathy, consent, and inclusion. Findings highlight how sociopolitical stereotypes shape perceptions of HEHSCs and underscore the need to broaden their appeal through inclusive pedagogy, diverse instructor representation, and cross-disciplinary integration.