Most of US Wants Sex Ed in Schools. Why Isnât It Federally Mandated and Funded?
Lauren Walker / Truthout; Adapted: Narisara Nami / Javier Zayas Photography / Getty Images
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When Healing to Action, a survivor-led organization working to end gender-based violence in Chicago, teamed up with the Chicago Teachers Union to assess the cityâs implementation of a 2013 mandate to teach sexual education in public schools, they uncovered vast disparities. Seventy percent of Windy City K-12 youth were not receiving the full sequence of intended instruction, missing critical lessons on subjects as diverse as anatomy, sexual desire and expression, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual abuse, personal hygiene, sexually transmitted diseases, domestic and dating violence, contraception and abortion.