Sex Education, Comprehensive

A Broader Perspective

Comprehensive sex education also incorporates discussions of abortion, sexually transmitted infections, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and often mentions sexual orientation as well as acknowledging the existence of homosexuality and heterosexuality.

Comprehensive sex education is occasionally referred to as abstinence-plus sex education. In this variation, the curriculum encourages students to abstain from sexual intercourse during their teenage years and before marriage. However, the curriculum continues to include information regarding birth control and sexually transmitted disease protection.

Sex education is commonly taught in elementary and secondary schools. In 2002, 58 percent of high school principals characterized their schools’ sex education programs as comprehensive; 34 percent characterized their programs as abstinence-only. Most principals indicated that their schools’ comprehensive sex education programs primarily advocated abstinence among teenagers.

There are no federal regulations mandating the presence or content of sex education in schools. Individual states and school districts create sex education policies. In 2009, 21 states and the District of Columbia mandated that sex education be taught in the public schools. These states further outline the types of information that are included in school curricula. Many other states that do not require sex education courses in their schools have outlined the coursework if sex education becomes part of a school district's curriculum. Fifteen states require that contraception information be included as part of a sex education curriculum. Additionally, 35 states require that schools provide sexually transmitted infection/HIV education. While there is currently federal funding for abstinence-only education, there is no similar federal funding for comprehensive sex education.

Accomplishing Change

Research has demonstrated that youth exposed to comprehensive sex education act differently than other teens. Teens taught comprehensive sex curricula are more likely to delay their sexual initiation and are likely to have fewer sexual partners than other youth. Research additionally indicates that comprehensive sex education leads to higher rates of condom and contraception usage. Girls who have undergone comprehensive sex education are less likely than their peers to become pregnant. Finally, teens with comprehensive sex education training are less likely to contract sexually transmitted infections than their peers.

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