Sexual Wellbeing
For over a decade, the Sexual Health and Wellbeing (SHAW) research group have undertaken research to conceptualise, measure and improve Sexual Wellbeing. We have been doing this work in collaboration with the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), Public Health Scotland and Scottish Government.
What is sexual wellbeing and why does it matter for public health?
We define sexual wellbeing as feeling respected, safe, at ease and supported, while also having a sense of self-worth and agency in relation to sex and sexuality.
- This paper, published in BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, explains how we arrived at this definition of sexual wellbeing, through a Delphi consensus process with national and international stakeholders.
- Our viewpoint paper in Lancet Public Health explains that sexual wellbeing is one of four essential pillars of a public health approach to sex and sexuality. It is distinct but overlapping with sexual health, sexual pleasure and sexual justice.
- Other research groups have adopted our Framework of Sexual wellbeing, for example in addressing equity in sexual wellbeing among gender minority groups, to explore the meaning of LGBTQ+ people in the Netherlands, and to address sexuality in therapy with gender minority groups
Latest publication
Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland: 2025 Baseline Survey for National Monitoring and Evaluation is out now.
Read the full report here:
Applying sexual wellbeing in practice: framework and resources
A framework of sexual wellbeing for Scotland
The SHAW team is working with NHS, third sector and private sector in Scotland and across the UK to apply sexual wellbeing approaches in practice.
In collaboration with Public Health Scotland and in consultation with national Sexual Health and Blood Born Viruses (SHBBV) stakeholders, the SHAW team designed indicators to track progress on sexual wellbeing in Scotland. These indicators are included in the SHBBV National Monitoring plan.
As part of the 2023-2026 SHBBV Action plan for Scotland, the SHAW team and Public Health Scotland undertook a national survey of sexual wellbeing for Scotland 2025, which provides a population-baseline for monitoring future progress. Read the full report by clicking the link below.
For health and allied professionals
This animated video for health and allied professionals, explains what sexual wellbeing is and how it can be applied in practice: What does sexual wellbeing mean and how is it relevant to my work?
For counselling and therapy
This blog, co-written with Dr Karen Gurney explains how sexual wellbeing is relevant in counselling and therapy: Sexual wellbeing in sex therapy
For educators
Resources forthcoming. In the meantime, take a look at another SHAW research group project: Equally Safe at School, a whole-school approach to addressing gender-based violence
For the public
This article in Psychology Today outlines seven ways your sexual wellbeing may be suffering and builds on our definition of sexual wellbeing: 7 Signs Your Sexual Wellbeing Might Be Suffering
Scotland’s National Summit on Young People’s Sexual Health & Wellbeing
Young people's sexual health and wellbeing summit report 2026
Executive summary and roadmap for action
What does sexual wellbeing mean and how is it relevant to my work?
More about our research: Conceptualising and measuring sexual wellbeing
Natsal
With colleagues on the Natsal study we show how sexual wellbeing is patterned in the British population (paper and summary forthcoming).
Measure of sexual wellbeing for adults
For the 4th Natsal study, we developed and validated a brief measure of sexual wellbeing for adults, the Natsal-SW.
- This 13-item measure has robust psychometric properties and is designed for use in population health research. It is being translated and validated in multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Turkish and Flemish. For a copy of the measure and scoring information please contact sexualwellbeing@glasgow.ac.uk.
- Examples of studies using the Natsal-SW include population-based cohort study of post-partum mothers in Switzerland and a study of student health and wellbeing in South Africa.
- The Natsal-SW is grounded in qualitative work with adults in the UK which explored how our seven domains of sexual wellbeing resonated with lived experience.
Sexual wellbeing among adolescents
- The National Summit on Young People’s Sexual Health and Wellbeing brought people together to start a national conversation about how we can better meet young people's sexual wellbeing needs in Scotland. You can read the Young people's sexual health and wellbeing summit report 2026 here or the Executive summary and roadmap for action here.
- We have also developed the Adol-SW measure of sexual wellbeing for adolescents. Co-produced with young people and psychometrically validated, it is brief (13-items) and designed for adolescents with and without sexual experience. For a copy of the measure and scoring information please contact sexualwellbeing@glasgow.ac.uk
- Our Good Measure website has resources for researchers and practitioners seeking to measure adolescent sexual wellbeing or other aspects of sex and sexuality in health research. It includes a measure finder, a catalogue of measures and brief questionnaires for use in research with adolescents.
- We systematically reviewed global qualitative evidence on young people’s sexuality to understand how sexual wellbeing manifests.
Translating sexual wellbeing into practice
- Visiting researcher Ayse Deliktas Demirci has joined the SHAW Research group on a Post-doctoral Fellowship. Her project aims to clarify how nurses assess and respond to sexual wellbeing needs and make clinical decisions in practice. Ultimately, the project will develop a standardised nursing classification proposal for sexual wellbeing, supporting more consistent, evidence-informed, and person-centred nursing care.
- We are currently seeking participants for qualitative interviews with sexual health nurses and nurses working in primary and secondary care in Scotland. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Ayse Deliktas Demirci.
Contact us
If you would like to learn more about sexual wellbeing or if you would like to discuss embedding sexual wellbeing approaches in your work, please email the team at sexualwellbeing@glasgow.ac.uk.