Sex education

Sex education covers topics like human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, reproduction, safe sex, birth control, sexual and reproductive health, emotional relationships and responsibilities, the age of consent, and reproductive rights. It can be delivered through school programs, public health campaigns, or by parents and caregivers. Many governments support providing this education before or at the start of puberty to boost public health, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and prevent teenage and unwanted pregnancies. When all these topics are included, it’s called comprehensive sexuality education. In contrast, abstinence-only sex education, which only promotes not having sex, is more common in socially conservative areas, such as parts of the United States. In some countries, the subject is referred to as "relationships and sexual health education."

Historically, many cultures treated discussions of sexuality as taboo, leaving adolescents uninformed and relying on parents to provide instruction, often just before marriage. The late 19th century’s progressive education movement brought sex education into North American schools as "social hygiene." During World War II, the UK government worried about mass relocation, parentless youths, and young men and women working together for the first time, fearing new sexually transmitted diseases and rising pregnancy rates that could strain the war-ravaged economy and healthcare system. In response, the UK Board for Education issued guidance on sex education in schools and youth organizations, making it a possibility rather than an obligation. This guidance suggested teaching the mechanics of intercourse through observing livestock reproduction and encouraged discussions on menstruation, motherhood courses, and personal hygiene. It remained popular among teachers and some parents for many years.

After the war, some developing countries created sex education programs tied to political goals. Rising birth rates in certain regions led to population-focused programs—for example, Singapore’s first sex education curriculum from 1966 to 1973 emphasized birth control to prevent overpopulation. In socialist countries like the German Democratic Republic and Cuba, reforms centered on using sex education to strengthen family ties. The content of these programs evolved with societal views; Swedish guidelines and textbooks from 1945 to 2000 initially portrayed masturbation as harmful but later described it as natural and harmless. In 1965, the Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council called for "a positive and prudent sexual education" in its Declaration on Christian Education.

In the 1970s, informational films became popular with teachers. Martin Cole’s *Growing Up* (1971) offered a frank look at the physiology and social aspects of sex, including real clips of penises and masturbation, which sparked backlash. By the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS crisis in the UK made a frank, factual approach necessary. In 1999, the Labour government introduced Sex and Relationships Education guidance focused on sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy, part of a ten-year Teenage Pregnancy Strategy that ended in 2010. Teenage pregnancy rates halved during this period, though similar declines elsewhere suggest the strategy wasn’t solely responsible. Globally, the AIDS outbreak gave sex education new urgency. In many African countries with epidemic-level HIV/AIDS, scientists view broad sex education as a vital public health strategy. Organizations like Planned Parenthood see comprehensive programs as benefiting global issues such as overpopulation and women’s rights, including reproductive rights. Mass media campaigns have sometimes raised awareness but only led to superficial knowledge of HIV transmission.

According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), 93% of surveyed adults support sexuality education in high school, and 84% support it in junior high. Additionally, 88% of parents of junior high students and 80% of parents of secondary students believe school-based sex education helps them talk to their adolescents about sex. Among adolescents, 92% report wanting both to discuss sex with their parents and to receive comprehensive in-school sex education. A study by Mathematica Policy Research for the US Department of Health and Human Services found that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are ineffective.