Sex Education Defined
Learn more about what exactly comprehensive sex education is and why it's so important.
What is Comprehensive Sex Education?
Comprehensive sex education (CSE) is a rights-based, public health approach to sex education that equips young people with the knowledge and skills to understand and develop agency in all aspects of their sexual health and wellbeing. CSE recognizes sexuality as a central part of human development and is medically accurate, age-appropriate, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ+ youth and people with disabilities, anti-racist, and shame-free. It encompasses the physical, emotional, mental, social, and societal dimensions of sexuality, including relationships, identity, consent, personal safety, and reproductive health, and affirms that all people are sexual beings deserving of respect, dignity, and access to accurate information and resources.
Sex education is about more than just sex. It’s about identity, relationships, self-esteem, communication, consent, personal safety, and much more.
Circles of Sexuality
The Circles of Sexuality is a tool to help visualize an interconnected, holistic view of sexuality and all that it encompasses. The Circles of Sexuality include:
- Sexual Health & Reproduction: The biology and care of the reproductive and sexual organs; one’s capacity to reproduce
- Intimacy: The ability and need to experience emotional closeness to another human being and have it returned
- Sexual Identity: The sense of who one is, including sexual orientation and gender identity
- Sexualization: The use of sexuality to influence, control, or manipulate others
- Sensuality: Awareness, acceptance, and comfort with one’s own body; enjoyment of one’s own body and the bodies of others
The Sex Education Ecosystem
Effective sex education requires a comprehensive, interconnected network of educators, parents and caregivers, families, policies, community organizations, and healthcare providers working together to not only provide CSE, but to provide the infrastructure required for young people to implement and embody what they learn in the classroom throughout their lives. Critical components of an effective sex education ecosystem include:
- Comprehensive sex education: Education in K-12 schools that covers anatomy, puberty, relationships, consent, sexual health, pleasure, and more.
- Supportive environments: Parents/guardians, families, community members, and media (including social media) contribute to and foster open, accurate, affirming, and shame-free messages about sexual health and wellbeing.
- Trained professionals: Educators and healthcare providers receive ongoing training to be knowledgeable, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and inclusive of LGBTQ+ and other marginalized youth.
- Policy: Laws, policies, and funding from school districts, local, state, and federal government prioritize CSE and do not rely on abstinence-only programs.
- Healthcare access: Healthcare is easily accessible, affordable, and available to young people and adults for sexual health services and related care.
Whether you’re an administrator, teacher, school board member, nonprofit leader, community member, healthcare provider, faith leader, researcher, or caregiver, sex education intersects with your work.
Public Health Approach
CSE is a public health approach to health and wellbeing. It recognizes that access to medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive information is essential to the health and wellbeing of whole communities, not just individuals. Rather than focusing only on preventing pregnancy or disease, a public health approach strengthens protective factors (like communication skills, media literacy, healthy relationship skills, self-efficacy, and connection to trusted adults) while reducing risk and harm. It addresses sexuality as a normal part of human development and centers prevention, equity, and wellbeing throughout the lifespan. By equipping young people with knowledge, skills, and supportive environments, CSE contributes to improved mental health, reduced rates of STIs and unintended pregnancy, lower rates of relationship violence, and stronger, healthier communities.
Why is Comprehensive Sex Education So Important?
Studies show that CSE is associated with delayed sexual initiation, increased use of birth control, including condoms, fewer sexual partners, and reduced sexual risk behaviors, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and rates of unintended pregnancy. CSE does not result in young people having sex sooner than they otherwise would, despite the unfounded claims of some who oppose CSE. In fact, it helps young people wait to have sex for the first time until they are ready and helps them reduce unintended outcomes when they are.
CSE boasts many benefits for young people beyond unintended pregnancy and STI prevention. Research shows that CSE can help:
- Prevent child sexual abuse
- Create safer school spaces for LGBTQ+ young people
- Increase healthy relationships
- Reduce relationship violence
- Improve social-emotional learning
- Increase media literacy
In fact, LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education leads to all students, not just LGBTQ+ students, feeling safer, more connected, and like they belong at school. A school environment that prioritizes inclusion and acceptance for marginalized populations unsurprisingly helps every student feel more comfortable and safe being themself.
CSE supports young people being physically healthy, but it also helps develop thoughtful, kind, empathetic, resilient, and resourceful young people who will become the family members, partners, and community members our communities depend on to build healthy, respectful, and connected futures.
It makes sense that parents across the nation overwhelmingly support sex education. Public polling on parent support for sex education shows that the vast majority of parents believe it’s important to teach sex education in high school (96%) and middle school (84%) that is age-appropriate, comprehensive, and fact-based.
While CSE is widely supported by parents and public health leaders, misinformation and political attacks from a vocal minority continue to threaten young people’s access to critical health information. Nonprofits like EducateUS and SIECUS have great resources for advocating for CSE in your state or community.