Across the nation, students have vastly different experiences learning about a somewhat taboo but super important health topic: sexual health education, or sex ed. According to Sex Ed for Social Change, or SIECUS, 29 states and D.C. mandate sex ed as of July 2022. "Due to the lack of guidance and policy implementation at the federal level, the United States has a patchwork of laws that vary, which determine what and if sex education is being taught," said Michelle Slaybaugh, director of social impact and strategic communications at SIECUS.
Gaps in sex education in the U.S. can leave students in the dark, while other countries have programs that positively affect student health and knowledge.