The Problem

The Problem

There are several problems with sex education in many states:


While focusing on New Jersey’s issues with sex education, we found that the majority of states have an even worse curriculum, and through our proposed solutions, we hope to be able to influence other state governments and make changes that will be beneficial to public schools on a national level.

Evidence of a Problem

  • 43% of adolescent females and 57% of adolescent males did not receive any information regarding contraceptives before they first had sex (Planned Parenthood)

      • Because of this lack of education, the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) is increased

  • 7 states don't allow educators to discuss LGBTQ+ within schools, therefore failing to inform students of information regarding sexuality and relationships (Planned Parenthood)

  • 96% of parents are in agreement that sex education should be taught in high school, further proving that comprehensive sex education is critical to a proper, and well-rounded education (Blanton)

  • Only 27 states and D.C. require both sex education and HIV education (Blanton)

  • Only 9 states prohibit bias against race, sex, or ethnicity (Guttmacher Institute)

  • Only 11 states require that consent education is taught in schools (Guttmacher Institute)

  • 37% of millennials say that the sex education they received in schools was unhelpful in helping them make decisions about sex and relationships (Jones et al.)

  • 67% of millennials agree that teaching safe sex practices, as well as contraceptives and birth control is more effective in stopping teen pregnancies and STIs than abstinence education (Jones et al.)

  • Oklahoma passed a law that requires health departments in schools to provide materials stating that "abortion kills a living human", which creates biases against abortion and can result in discrimination against those who choose to have one (Planned Parenthood)

Click on the above hyperlink to figure out some more about the disagreements listed below

Comprehensive vs. Abstinence

Most Americans agree that sex education should be mandated in schools. However, there is a dispute about which kind to implement: abstinence-only or comprehensive education.

Religion

Despite the alleged separation of church and state, religion has a longstanding influence on American policy.

Funding

Historically, abstinence-only programs receive more money from the federal government than comprehensive programs. Ever since the 80's, states have known that adopting abstinence programs means that the federal government will give them funding.

Societal Blocks

There are certain components of sexual education that are not fully accepted by society, such as sexuality and gender identities. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ students are often excluded from sexual health lessons, leading them to seek out information on their own.

Current New Jersey Policy

New Jersey's new standard of social and sex education (as of 2020):

(New Jersey Department of Education)

The current policy addresses important issues such as:

  • Inclusive environments and conversations regarding sexual orientation and gender identity

  • Teaching about healthy and unhealthy relationships, tying in sexual assault prevention

  • Comprehensive education during pubescent and pre-pubescent years

The majority of other states do not have this level of comprehensive sex education, the problem being that most students around the United States lack imperative and relevant education.

Governmental Role

State governments have control over education requirements. Within these requirements, school districts are able to create curricula to adhere to. The federal government only has control over funding, as well as the ability to make very broad requirements and constraints for the state governments to follow.

The federal government does not have jurisdiction over sex education.

Additionally, sex education is funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as opposed to the Department of Education.

Given these governmental constraints, there are several ways state and federal governments can adapt and improve sex education requirements in public schools. These are explored in our possible solutions.