Sex Ed and Kids

What factors contribute to the education of our children? This question is so broad, it’s impossible to pin down a complete answer in any one survey. For this report, we’ve tried to move away from the typical, and often questionable, measures of educational success, such as SAT scores, and instead took a look at some of the factors that are often overlooked in discussing our children’s education.

We wanted to look at the factors that are important to us as population activists. What factors contribute to a well-rounded environmental and health education? One important component is a school’s sex education policies.

Reducing teen pregnancy is one of the most beneficial and effective steps the United States can take in slowing the rate of its population growth, and comprehensive sex education is the essential first step in reducing teen pregnancy.

We asked Rebecca Fox, state policy coordinator at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), to explain the differences in sexuality education around the country.

With no federal policy or funding supporting comprehensive sexuality education, state laws primarily govern what local districts teach. If a state mandates sexuality education or prescribes what is taught if sexuality education classes occur, these laws set the parameters on classroom teaching. For example, California does not mandate sexuality education, but requires school districts that implement sexuality education to follow certain guidelines. These guidelines state that sexuality education must be medically accurate and be taught in an age-appropriate manner to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Specifically, sexuality education must contain accurate instruction about teenage pregnancy prevention, including contraception and abstinence. Classes must also encourage healthy attitudes and values about adolescent growth and development, body image, gender roles, sexual orientation, romantic involvement, marriage, and family.

At the other end of the spectrum, South Carolina law mandates sexuality education, but strictly limits what may be taught in these classes. Any information about contraception must be presented in the context of use during marriage. Classes must stress abstinence-only-until- marriage and can discuss adoption but not abortion. In addition, classes must cover pregnancy prevention but must separate students by gender when this topic is discussed. Finally, sexuality education classes can discuss sexual orientation but only in the context of disease prevention.

Despite the existence of such laws, teachers remain instrumental in how well sexuality education is taught. Even when school districts have a strong sexuality education mandate, teacher training and implementation is often nonexistent or inadequate. For example, Washington, DC has had a mandate for sexuality education since the late 1970s, and it was updated in the early 1980s to include information about HIV/AIDS prevention. This mandate clearly describes what must be taught in sex-ed classes and requires teacher training and curricula review. But due to a lack of oversight, this mandate remains unfulfilled and students in the District do not receive the comprehensive sexuality education required by law.

State and city laws often regulate what can be taught within schools and individual school boards can exercise considerable control over the content of sexuality education classes. Closer to the classroom, principals often determine what is taught in their schools, and what young people learn is ultimately in the hands of a teacher. The training that classroom teachers receive, and their comfort with the subject of sexuality, also plays a large role in the final product.

Research shows the effectiveness of sexuality education programs, yet most states and cities do not have comprehensive programs. Instead of limiting discussions in classrooms, and leaving youth with a lack of accurate information regarding sexuality, pregnancy, and STD prevention, states and cities should implement programs and policies that give teachers the training they need to provide accurate, life-saving information to their students.