Sexuality and Relationship Education Program for Autistic Young Adults in South Korea

NCT07234253 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRB-2025-0055-10
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this single-arm clinical trial is to conduct a preliminary evaluation of Our Love, Our Style, a group-based sexuality and relationship education program for autistic young adults in South Korea. The study aims to examine the preliminary efficacy of the program by assessing increases in sexuality knowledge, sexual and relationship behaviors, and motivation. It will also evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the program among Korean autistic young adults. Participants will receive a 10-session, online, group-based program (90 minutes per session, once a week for 10 weeks) delivered via telehealth. The program is adapted to the Korean cultural context and tailored to the needs of autistic young adults aged 18-35 years. It will cover the following topics: social relationships (e.g., distinguishing types of relationships, apologizing, and refusing), romantic relationships, consent, sexual behavior, reproduction, prevention of sexual harassment, online and social media use related to sexuality, gender, and sexual orientation.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Psychosexual Knowledge Test (PKT)

  A 37-item multiple-choice test designed to assess a broad range of psychosexual knowledge, from understanding physical terminology to applied sexual and psychological concepts. Each item is scored as True/False

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Perceived Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ)

  A 5-item self-report measure evaluating participants' perceived level of sexual health knowledge. Items are answered in a True/False format.

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Korean Relationship and Sexuality Scale (KRSS)

  A 150-item self-report scale developed to comprehensively evaluate sexual health knowledge and understanding of relationships, corresponding to the content covered in the intervention program. Visual aids are provided to support autistic participants' comfort with visual materials. Each item is rated as Agree or Disagree.

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2)

  A 14-item self-report questionnaire measuring the frequency and intensity of sexual desire across various contexts. Items are rated on an 8-point scale ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 7 (More than once a day).

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Self-Efficacy in Romantic Relationships Scale

  A 12-item scale assessing self-efficacy and beliefs regarding one's ability to maintain and manage romantic relationships. Each item is rated on a 9-point Likert scale from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 9 (Strongly agree).

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Sexual and Dating Experiences Questionnaire

  A 7-item multiple-choice questionnaire evaluating participants' experiences with various intimate and dating behaviors. Each item is answered as Never, Once or twice, or More than twice.

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Sexual Experience Questionnaire (SEQ)

  A 12-item instrument assessing the frequency of diverse sexual experiences. Responses are recorded using a four-point frequency scale: Never, Once, A few times, or Many times.

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention (follow-up).

• Program Feasibility Survey

  This questionnaire will be completed by participants at the end of the intervention program to assess the feasibility of the intervention. It includes items evaluating the practicality and usability of the program (e.g., "The online platform was easy to use," "I was able to find time to complete assigned tasks"). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 3 = neutral, 5 = strongly agree). Scores for each item range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating that participants perceived the program as more feasible.

  post-intervention (1 week after the completion of the intervention)

• Program Acceptability Survey

  This questionnaire will be completed by participants at the end of the intervention program to assess the acceptability and overall satisfaction with the intervention. It includes items evaluating perceived benefits of the sessions (e.g., "I benefited from the sessions with the interventionist"). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 3 = neutral, 5 = strongly agree). Scores for each item range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating that participants perceived the program as more acceptable.

  post-intervention (1 week after the completion of the intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention follow-up.

• Korean-Adolescents/Adults Sensory Profile (K-AASP)

  Baseline (pre-intervention)

• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention follow-up.

• Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention follow-up.

• UCLA Loneliness Scale (Korean Short Form)

  Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 week post-intervention, and 10 weeks post-intervention follow-up.

Study Arms (1)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Autistic young adults will receive a group-based sexuality and relationship education program delivered in a telehealth format over 10 sessions (90 minutes per session, once a week for 10 weeks). The program will cover the following topics: social relationship (e.g., distinguishing types of relationships, apologizing, and refusing), romantic relationships, consent, sexual behavior, reproduction, prevention of sexual harassment, online and social media use related to sexuality, gender, and sexual orientation.

Behavioral: Our Love, Our Style (OLOS)

Interventions

Our Love, Our Style (OLOS) BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will consist of an online, group-based sexuality and relationship education program delivered over 10 sessions (90 minutes per session, once a week for 10 weeks). The program will cover the following topics, adapted to the Korean cultural context and the needs of autistic young adults aged 18-35 years: social relationships (e.g., distinguishing types of relationships, apologizing, and refusing), romantic relationships, consent, sexual behavior, reproduction, prevention of sexual harassment, online and social media use related to sexuality, gender, and sexual orientation.

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• previous medical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ASD based on DSM-5 using Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
• Verbal ability sufficient to produce full sentences (i.e. ADOS-2 Module 4 language level)
• Full-Scale IQ equal to or above 70

You may not qualify if:

• \- Presence of prominent hallucinations or delusions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Korea University: lead
• National Research Foundation of Korea: collaborator
• Korean Association for Persons with Autism: collaborator
• Smile Together Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Korea University

Seoul, South Korea

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Boin Choi, PhD

  Ewha Womans University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 14, 2025
• First Posted: November 18, 2025
• Study Start: January 14, 2025
• Primary Completion: July 30, 2025
• Study Completion: March 1, 2026
• Last Updated: November 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

KR (1)