Since 2019, the month of May has been recognized as Sex Ed for All Month, an effort put forward by numerous sexual education organizations that are dedicated towards advocating for sexual health, rights, and increased education. Young people having access to quality sex education has been found to improve social-emotional learning skills and help them form healthy relationships with peers, whether romantic or platonic. It has also been shown to reduce young peoples’ risk for unsafe sexual activity by encouraging condom/contraceptive use and teaching kids about consent and boundaries.
A definition of comprehensive sex education (CSE) by the Guttmacher Institute is that it “…seeks to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need to determine and enjoy their sexuality—physically and emotionally, individually and in relationships” [1]. CSE is not just about lecturing students about what to do/what not to do with their bodies, but instead focuses on the development of crucial life skills that help young people cultivate a more empathic and understanding relationship with their body and with others. There are other types of sex education programs, such as those that focus on abstinence-only education, but CSE has been proven to be the most successful in holistically educating young people on healthy sexual behaviors [2].
The need for CSE is increasing in the U.S., as only 9% of high schoolers who said they had been sexually active reported using a condom to prevent STI transmission or an unwanted pregnancy [2]. Additionally, there has been a rise in young people using social media and the Internet to get information on sex and their bodies, but not making sure that the sites and pages they are going to are credible and fact-based. In order to combat this, some sex education programs have started including sections on how young people can keep themselves safe online, as well as how to find trustworthy sources of information online [2].
Most sexual health programs are tailored specifically to the age group, with elementary schoolers focusing more on puberty and social-emotional learning, while older grades get the opportunity to learn about STI’s and dating violence prevention. Sex education is always changing and growing as more research and information becomes available on its outcomes on young people. The month of May is when the benefits of quality sex education can be highlighted and celebrated.
Along with our sex education programs, Candor Health Education provides resources to parents, students, and teachers on our website that include conversation starters, statistics, lesson plans, videos, and more. These resources can help give the younger generations the access and ability to make informed decisions about their bodies.
Written by: Grace Thompson – Health Education Intern
Sources:
- https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/report_downloads/demystifying-data-handouts_0.pdf
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/adolescent-sexual-health/equitable-access-to-sexual-and-reproductive-health-care-for-all-youth/the-importance-of-access-to-comprehensive-sex-education/