Millions of U.S. teens lack reliable sex education in the classroom

Sex is everywhere – on TV, in music, and online – but for many teens in the U.S., the classroom isn’t where they’re learning about it.

Most parents assume schools teach kids what they need to know about relationships, consent, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. However, that’s not always the case.

Geography decides sex education

There’s no federal law requiring schools to teach sex education, so states and school districts decide for themselves. Some teach it well, others offer little or nothing, and some teach things that aren’t even medically accurate.

A new national study found that 42 states require public school students to receive some kind of sex education between kindergarten and high school.

That sounds good at first, but there’s a catch: only 19 states require the material to be medically accurate. Of those, five apply that rule only to specific topics. So in many places, kids could be taught opinions instead of facts.

Even more troubling, 34 states require schools to teach abstinence. That might sound safe, but research shows abstinence-only education doesn’t work.

It doesn’t stop teens from having sex, reduce sexually transmitted infections, or prevent unplanned pregnancies. Despite all that, abstinence-only education is still funded and promoted by the federal government.

Sex education missing key parts

The study was led by Dr. Kimberly Nelson from the Boston University School of Public Health, along with experts from Cornell Law School and Florida International University.

The researchers looked at laws, court decisions, and school regulations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

They found that 34 states allow parents to opt their children out of sex education altogether. In five states, parents have to opt in, meaning students don’t get any instruction unless their parents actively agree to it.

“While many students in the U.S. are required to get some form of sexual education, our study shows that substantially fewer students are likely to be getting the comprehensive sexual education that public health and medical associations recommend,” said Dr. Johnson.

“Only 58 percent of students reside in a jurisdiction that requires sexual education to be medically accurate, and many jurisdictions have content mandates that extend only to a few topics.”

This means that many U.S. students are living in jurisdictions where they are unlikely to receive the accurate and comprehensive information that we know will help them make informed, healthy choices about their sexual behaviors and relationships.

Beyond anatomy lessons

Sex education isn’t just about anatomy or how pregnancy happens. It’s also about relationships, safety, and respect. But the study found that many states skip these key lessons.

Only 27 states require schools to teach about healthy relationships. Just 21 mandate lessons on dating or intimate partner violence. And only 9 states require instruction on consent.

When it comes to topics like birth control, condoms, and sexual orientation, the numbers drop even lower. Just 20 states require teaching about contraception.

Only 12 states mandate information about sexual orientation – and in two of those states, Oklahoma and Texas, schools are required to present it negatively. They teach that same-sex activity is “primarily responsible” for AIDS exposure.

Furthermore, only 11 states require schools to include instruction on condoms.

Different states, different rules

Not all regions approach sex education the same way. All states in the Northeast require sex education on at least one topic, but only 62 percent of states in the West do the same.

The South and Midwest fall somewhere in between. These differences often reflect local politics and cultural beliefs.

“Because policy decisions about sexual education curricula happen at the state-level, state-level sociopolitical forces exert substantial influence on sexual education,” said Dr. Nelson.

“In states where sociopolitical forces and vocal advocacy groups push an abstinence-focused approach, that approach is likely to be seen as politically advantageous and be adopted.”

Poor sex education harms teens

Teens face higher risks than adults for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unplanned pregnancies, and unhealthy relationships. Incomplete or misleading information leaves them confused and vulnerable.

Good sex education doesn’t encourage kids to have sex. It helps them make better choices when they do. It gives them tools to stay healthy, protect themselves, and treat others with respect.

More states have changed their sex education laws in the last five years. The hope is that this new research will push lawmakers to keep going – to make instruction more accurate, more comprehensive, and more inclusive.

But that won’t happen unless people start paying attention to what’s actually being taught. Right now, millions of kids in America aren’t getting the facts – and that’s a real problem.

The full study was published in the journal American Journal of Public Health.

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