Sexuality Education

Sexuality education is an important part of sexual health and reproductive health decision-making. High-quality, comprehensive and medically accurate sexuality education is essential at all stages of life, which is why education and counseling are key components of publicly funded family planning services in the US.

Accurate sexuality education is especially important for teens, in order to give them the tools to make responsible decisions about their sexual health throughout their lives. Unfortunately, much of the federal government's efforts over the last decade regarding sexuality education have been focused exclusively on abstinence-only programs. This focus changed in 2009 with the end of the primary funding source of federal abstinence-only funding and the first federal funding for comprehensive sexuality education.

The fight for high-quality, comprehensive and medically accurate sexuality education continues. Federal funding for state-based grants for abstinence-only programs persist, and some Members of Congress are working to eliminate funding for comprehensive sexuality education programs.

Abstinence-Only Programs

Comprehensive Sexuality Education