Each May since 2019, Sex Ed for All Month is an opportunity to voice our shared commitment to a world where all young people get equitable access to the education and care they deserve.
April 18, 2024
The seasons are changing, and May will be here before you know it. That means it’s time to start getting ready for Sex Ed for All Month!
Each May since 2019, Sex Ed for All Month is an opportunity to voice our shared commitment to a world where all young people get equitable access to the education and care they deserve.
Why Sex Ed for All Month?
Sex Ed For All Month is coordinated by the Sex Education Collaborative, in collaboration with a national coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring equitable and accessible sex education for ALL young people nationwide.
Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives. But too many young people don’t have access to high-quality sex education.
We invite you to join us in raising awareness and calling for real investment in sex education in schools and communities. Too many young people fail to receive the sexual health information, education, and access to the care they need to live healthy lives—oftentimes based on who they are and where they live.
While May was formerly known as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the shift to Sex Ed for All Month marked a dramatic turn away from what was previously often stigmatizing and problematic messaging. Instead, we want to stand with young people, so they have the power and the right to access the sex education and health care they need to achieve the best positive outcomes for themselves.
It’s a month focused on providing young people with the sexual health information and access to resources they need and deserve in order to make healthy decisions for themselves. While existing federal funding for evidence-based sex education is critical, it alone cannot meet the national need. Too many young people go without the sexual health information and access to care that they deserve.
Sex education is about so much more than risk reduction and disease prevention. Shifting to Sex Ed for All Month provides an opportunity to adjust the lens through which our field has historically viewed adolescent sexual and reproductive health and address more holistically the sex education young people deserve so they can have healthy relationships, make healthy decisions, and have positive health outcomes.
Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives.
Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives.
But too many young people don’t have access to sex education, or the programs in their school are shaming or inaccurate.
Want more background on why we celebrate Sex for All Month? Check out these resources on why sex ed is essential, how parents and youth really do agree on sex ed for all, and why we reframed May as Sex Ed for All Month.
Together, by advocating in our communities, we can ensure Sex Ed for All.
Whether it’s your first or fifth time recognizing Sex Ed for All Month, we invite you to join us as we collectively (and loudly!) voice our commitment to work toward a world where all young people—no matter who they are or where they live—get equitable access to the sex education they deserve.
What Can I Do for Sex Ed for All Month?
You can take action to advocate for sex education in your community starting today. All you need to do is ask the right questions and join with others in your community to ensure sex education for all.
- You can ask young people what, if any, sex education they’ve gotten in school. Find out what they’re being taught, if they feel included, and what they wish school would teach that they currently don’t.
- You can find out who is making decisions about sex education at your local school. It may be a health coordinator, an individual teacher, or a district-wide School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC). You can contact the teacher, coordinator, or committee chair to learn about how decisions about sex education are made and what is currently being taught.
- You can find out from your local school’s PTA and/or school board what sex education is taught in your community. This includes how often and when sex education is being taught, as well as what topics are being taught, what curriculum is being used, and who is teaching the program.
If you want better sex education in your local school, you can go to PTA and/or school board meetings to tell them what you want for sex education, asking them to include a wide range of topics in age-appropriate ways taught by unbiased experts.
The sky’s the limit! As with any observance or awareness month, we invite you to create your own events and more. But we also hope you’ll join us in our promotion efforts and activities.
One thing’s for sure–there is no Sex Ed for All Month without you!
What is included in the Sex Ed For All Month 2024 Toolkit?
The Toolkit contains materials and information to promote Sex Ed For All Month:
Want More Info?
Check out the Sex Education Collaborative for more information about why we recognize May as Sex Ed for All Month.
PHOTO CREDIT: Drobot Dean on Adobe Stock
At Healthy Teen Network, we believe every young person has the right to be who they are and love who they love. And we see you, the professionals and caring adults, helping them do this. We know you do your best when you're connected to great opportunities and resources. That's why we're here...to help make those connections and support you. Read more about us.
