Sex education lgbt

Expanding LGBTQ Inclusion Within Sex Education

As a parent to an elementary school child, curious questions about anatomy and reproduction inevitably arise. I grab these questions as opportunities to provide developmentally appropriate information to help my child learn about sex, reproduction, attraction and relationships. Research is clear that comprehensive sex education decreases the likelihood of negative sexual health outcomes such as teen pregnancy and contraction of STIs. However, not all schools provide comprehensive sex education. For LGBTQ students seeking LGBTQ-relevant information, it can be even more difficult. A recent policy review revealed that only 22 states include topics related to LGBTQ+ students¹.

For Sex Ed For All Month this May, I had a discussion with Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassador Ash Silcott about their life with sex education as a non-binary student to better understand challenges LGBTQ students face, and how sex ed can be improved to educate and help all young people.

JA: Can you tell me about your sex ed experience in school s

The sexual education system in the United States is failing LGBTQ+ youth. U.S. sexual education policies acquire long been influenced by moral panic surrounding sex and have been shaped by sexist and heteronormative narratives. Prejudice guiding knowledge policy leads to sexual education that denies Gay youth the education they deserve and contributes to severe disparities in sexual health. LGBTQ+ youth confront disproportionate negative sexual health consequences, such as higher rates of contracting STIs, becoming pregnant, and experiencing coerced sexual contact[i]. Although sexual health is crucial to the physical and mental health of youth, only 30 states and the District of Columbia require sexual education, and 17 states provide abstinence-only education, which is often LGBTQ+ exclusive and reliant on gender stereotype [ii].
Abstinence-only sex education doesn’t perform. Abstinence-only education does not affect adolescent birth rates, while teaching comprehensive sexual education lowers the peril of teen pregnancy significantly [iii]. Solely using an abstinence approach does not

Only 17 States and DC Report LGBTQ-Inclusive Sex Ed Curricula in at Least Half of Schools, Despite Recent Increases
Note: The CDC measures change in the percentage of schools that provide curricula or supplementary materials that include HIV, STD, or pregnancy prevention information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth (e.g., curricula or materials that use inclusive language or terminology).
Sources: Centers for Disease Rule and Prevention. (). School Health Profiles Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Manipulation and Prevention. (). School Health Profiles Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The policy landscape around inclusive sexual awareness continues to alter quickly. As of , six states (California, Colorado, Recent Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington) plus the District of Columbia explicitly require inclusive sex-ed curricula. While Alabama, Arizona, and South Carolina recently repealed

Teaching accessible and LGBTQ+ inclusive sexuality education
As you could probably guess, I was kind of shielded from anything resembling sex education because it’s like, “Oh, she’s disabled, she’s not going to know any better.” It’s like this irrelevant subject to her… I remember this coloring book where you’re naming intimate parts of the body. That’s the only recollection I possess about sex ed. And a few awkward talks about penises.
Liliana
I experimented. I didn’t acquire that info. You had to figure that out on your own. I had to figure out on my own so I had sex with men, but then I had a girlfriend and I got married.
Tim
Usually we are taught, “You are going to grow up, you’re going to get married, you’re going to have a baby.” I was just fancy , “Okay, whatever.”
Gabe
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are capable of understanding gender and sexuality. All people, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, should acquire access to comprehensive and Queer inclusive sexuality education.