About

The campaign for comprehensive sexuality education in the state of New York has been in motion for many years. There has been a dire lack of proper health instruction, due to the minimal state requirements for sex ed.

Currently, there is no statewide requirement for sexuality education- only a broader mandate for health education and an outdated and under-taught K-12 HIV/AIDS curriculum mandate. This mandate states:

• Health education is required for all students in grades K–12. 

• This instruction must provide information about HIV)/AIDS. HIV/AIDS instruction must be taught by teachers who have been given appropriate training and materials by the board of education or trustees. All HIV/AIDS education must “provide accurate information to pupils concerning the nature of the disease, methods of transmission, and methods of prevention.” 

• This instruction must be age-appropriate and consistent with community values and “shall stress abstinence as the most appropriate and effective premarital protection against AIDS.” 

• Each local school board must establish an advisory council to make recommendations on HIV/AIDS instruction. 

• Parents may exempt their children from HIV/AIDS classes as long as the school is given “assurance that the pupil will receive such instruction at home.” This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.

This legislation requires that all students in public and charter schools receive medically accurate, inclusive, K-12 comprehensive health and sexuality education that is age-appropriate and reflects national standards and best practices. 

A4604 (Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas- 2023) / S2584 (Samra Brouk- 2022)

• Requires the Commissioner of the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Health Commissioner, to establish learning standards for comprehensive health and sexuality education for K-12

• Provide model curricula, guidelines, and professional training and development resources to support implementation in schools across the state 

• Track and evaluate the comprehensive sexuality education program

Comprehensive sexuality education not only includes lessons on health matters like preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but also covers issues like healthy relationships, body image, and self-esteem. In kindergarten, that looks like basic lessons about friendship and communication, providing kids with the building blocks they need to tackle issues like consent and sexual health years later in middle and high school. Without this vital education, students are missing out on the information and support they need to make the best decisions for themselves about their health, relationships, and futures.

Since New York currently has NO statewide learning standard for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), students across the state are receiving inadequate, biased, or misleading sex ed — and some schools don’t provide any sex ed at all.

The dangers this lack of education pose are dire- more than two-thirds of teenagers who have been in a relationship report experiencing sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. A 2021 study of three decades of research found that comprehensive health and sexuality education outcomes include “intimate partner violence prevention, development of healthy relationships, prevention of child sex abuse, improved social/emotional learning, appreciation of sexual diversity, and increased media literacy."

We are facing increased health risks for young people — in New York, 52.5% of STIs are diagnosed among people younger than age 26 and in 2021, the number of reported anti-LGBTQ hate crimes increased 169% in NYC and 105% statewide from 2020.

In New York, youth access to a healthy life and violence prevention should not depend on their zip-code.

 Support comprehensive health and sexuality education today!

For a sample curriculum on what comprehensive health ed would look like for each grade, [click here]