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What Works In Schools : Sexual Health Education
CDC’s What Works In Schools Program improves the health and well-being of middle and high school students by:
- Improving health education,
- Connecting young people to the health services they need, and
- Making school environments safer and more supportive.
What is sexual health education?
Quality provides students with the knowledge and skills to help them be healthy and avoid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STI) and unintended pregnancy.
A quality sexual health education curriculum includes medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally relevant content and skills that target key behavioral outcomes and promote healthy sexual development. 1
The curriculum is age-appropriate and planned across grade levels to provide information about health risk behaviors and experiences.
Sexual health education should be consistent with scientific research and best practices; reflect the diversity of student experiences and identities; and align with school, family, and community priorities.
Quality sexual health education programs share many characteristics. 2-4 These programs:
- Are taught by well-qualified and highly-trained teachers and school staff
- Use strategies that are relevant and engaging for all students
- Address the health needs of all students, including the students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ)
- Connect students to sexual health and other health services at school or in the community
- Engage parents, families, and community partners in school programs
- Foster positive relationships between adolescents and important adults.
How can schools deliver sexual health education?
A school health education program that includes a quality sexual health education curriculum targets the development of functional knowledge and skills needed to promote healthy behaviors and avoid risks. It is important that sexual health education explicitly incorporate and reinforce skill development.
Giving students time to practice, assess, and reflect on skills taught in the curriculum helps move them toward independence, critical thinking, and problem solving to avoid STIs, HIV, and unintended pregnancy. 5
Quality sexual health education programs teach students how to: 1
- Analyze family, peer, and media influences that impact health
- Access valid and reliable health information, products, and services (e.g., STI/HIV testing)
- Communicate with family, peers, and teachers about issues that affect health
- Make informed and thoughtful decisions about their health
- Take responsibility for themselves and others to improve their health.
What are the benefits of delivering sexual health education to students?
Promoting and implementing well-designed sexual health education positively impacts student health in a variety of ways. Students who participate in these programs are more likely to: 6-11
- Delay initiation of sexual intercourse
- Have fewer sex partners
- Have fewer experiences of unprotected sex
- Increase their use of protection, specifically condoms
- Improve their academic performance.
In addition to providing knowledge and skills to address sexual behavior , quality sexual health education can be tailored to include information on high-risk substance use * , suicide prevention, and how to keep students from committing or being victims of violence—behaviors and experiences that place youth at risk for poor physical and mental health and poor academic outcomes.
*High-risk substance use is any use by adolescents of substances with a high risk of adverse outcomes (i.e., injury, criminal justice involvement, school dropout, loss of life). This includes misuse of prescription drugs, use of illicit drugs (i.e., cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, inhalants, hallucinogens, or ecstasy), and use of injection drugs (i.e., drugs that have a high risk of infection of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis).
What does delivering sexual health education look like in action?
To successfully put quality sexual health education into practice, schools need supportive policies, appropriate content, trained staff, and engaged parents and communities.
Schools can put these four elements in place to support sex ed.
- Implement policies that foster supportive environments for sexual health education.
- Use health content that is medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, culturally inclusive, and grounded in science.
- Equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver sexual health education.
- Engage parents and community partners.
Include enough time during professional development and training for teachers to practice and reflect on what they learned (essential knowledge and skills) to support their sexual health education instruction.
By law, if your school district or school is receiving federal HIV prevention funding, you will need an HIV Materials Review Panel (HIV MRP) to review all HIV-related educational and informational materials.
This review panel can include members from your School Health Advisory Councils, as shared expertise can strengthen material review and decision making.
For More Information
Learn more about delivering quality sexual health education in the Program Guidance .
Check out CDC’s tools and resources below to develop, select, or revise SHE curricula.
- Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), Module 6: Sexual Health [PDF – 70 pages] . This module within CDC’s HECAT includes the knowledge, skills, and health behavior outcomes specifically aligned to sexual health education. School and community leaders can use this module to develop, select, or revise SHE curricula and instruction.
- Developing a Scope and Sequence for Sexual Health Education [PDF – 17 pages] .This resource provides an 11-step process to help schools outline the key sexual health topics and concepts (scope), and the logical progression of essential health knowledge, skills, and behaviors to be addressed at each grade level (sequence) from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade. A developmental scope and sequence is essential to developing, selecting, or revising SHE curricula.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool, 2021 , Atlanta: CDC; 2021.
- Goldfarb, E. S., & Lieberman, L. D. (2021). Three decades of research: The case for comprehensive sex education. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(1), 13-27.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum .
- Pampati, S., Johns, M. M., Szucs, L. E., Bishop, M. D., Mallory, A. B., Barrios, L. C., & Russell, S. T. (2021). Sexual and gender minority youth and sexual health education: A systematic mapping review of the literature. Journal of Adolescent Health , 68 (6), 1040-1052.
- Szucs, L. E., Demissie, Z., Steiner, R. J., Brener, N. D., Lindberg, L., Young, E., & Rasberry, C. N. (2023). Trends in the teaching of sexual and reproductive health topics and skills in required courses in secondary schools, in 38 US states between 2008 and 2018. Health Education Research , 38 (1), 84-94.
- Coyle, K., Anderson, P., Laris, B. A., Barrett, M., Unti, T., & Baumler, E. (2021). A group randomized trial evaluating high school FLASH, a comprehensive sexual health curriculum. Journal of Adolescent Health , 68 (4), 686-695.
- Marseille, E., Mirzazadeh, A., Biggs, M. A., Miller, A. P., Horvath, H., Lightfoot, M.,& Kahn, J. G. (2018). Effectiveness of school-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in the USA: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Prevention Science, 19(4), 468-489.
- Denford, S., Abraham, C., Campbell, R., & Busse, H. (2017). A comprehensive review of reviews of school-based interventions to improve sexual-health. Health psychology review, 11(1), 33-52.
- Chin HB, Sipe TA, Elder R. The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive risk-reduction and abstinence education interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections: Two systematic reviews for the guide to community preventive services. Am J Prev Med 2012;42(3):272–94.
- Mavedzenge SN, Luecke E, Ross DA. Effective approaches for programming to reduce adolescent vulnerability to HIV infection, HIV risk, and HIV-related morbidity and mortality: A systematic review of systematic reviews. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2014;66:S154–69.
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education: an ove rview. Yen Med J. 2021;3 (1):8 -11. Viewpoint. Abstract. Sexuality education has been recognised as a basic human right which empowers young people with comprehe nsive ...
Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative, a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer, and SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change that seeks to create a national dialogue about the future of sex education and to promote the institutionalization of quality sex education in public schools. To learn more, please visit www.futureofsexed.org.
School-based sex education in the U.S. is at a crossroads. The United Nations defines sex education as a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality [1]. Over many years, sex education has had strong support among both parents [2] and health professionals [3-6], yet the receipt of sex education among U.S ...
countries to implement effective sexuality education programmes adapted to their contexts. We are convinced that if we do not meet young people's calls for good quality comprehensive sexuality education, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we have set for 2030, and the commitment that has been made to leave no one behind.
The issue of school-based sexuality education is controversial, and the consequences of. not providing adequate education to adolescents are serious. The purpose of this study will be to. review research relevant to the topic of school-based sexuality education and offer critical. analysis of relevant research.
Standard 1: Core Concepts. Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health. Standard 2: Analyzing Influences. Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors. Standard 3: Accessing Information.
lack confidence to deliver sexuality education. Surveys show that students frequently feel that they received information too late and would have preferred sexuality education to have started earlier in their schooling. There is evidence of opposition to CSE across a range of settings, often reflecting
From the 1960s on, support for sex education in schools gained widespread support. However, beginning in the 1980s, a debate began in the United States between a more comprehensive approach to sex education, which provided information about sexual health — including information about contraception — and abstinence-only programs.
including in education and schools.39 CEDAW requires that states parties eliminate all forms of gender stereotyp-ing in sexuality education programs and curricula, includ-ing by revising textbooks and school programs.40 Under CEDAW, sexuality education must be free of prejudice and discrimination, address the specific needs of women
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a term that has evolved from the earlier often used term, sexuality education, to stress the importance given to relationships. RSE is a focus area in the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education ( Citation 2010-present ).
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) plays a central role in the preparation of young people for a safe, productive, fulfilling life in a world where HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV) and gender inequality still pose serious risks to their well-being. However, despite clear and compelling evidence for the benefits of ...
school students believe information on how to use and where to get contraceptives is an appropriate topic for sexuality education programs in schools. 22. The . National Sexuality Education Standards. set forth minimum, essential sexuality education core content and skills responsive to the needs of students and in service to their overall academic
Age-appropriate, comprehensive gender and sexuality education must be based on scientific evidence and human rights standards and de-veloped with the participation of as many involved parties as possible, including parents, children, the community and youth itself. It should be part of the mandatory school curriculum, and reach out-of-school
Comprehensive sexuality education - or the many other ways this may be referred to - is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that empowers them to realize their health ...
Sexuality education provides young people with the knowledge, skills and efficacy to make informed decisions about their sexuality and lifestyle. Strong international commitments exist, mainly ...
The journey towards comprehensive sexuality education Global status reportThe Global Education 2030 Agenda UNESCO, as the United Nations' specialized agency for education, is entrusted to lead and coordinate the Education 2030 Agenda, which is part of a global movement to eradicate poverty through 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
sex education as an element of education as a whole. School Owing to the mandate of the schools to provide education, they are obli-ged to participate in sex education according to the 1968 resolution of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on sex education in schools. The education work to be performed in
rights-based sexuality education programmes can delay initiation of sexual activity and unprotected intercourse, decrease the number of sexual partners, increase contraceptive and condom use, and ... arguments that can be used with a variety of audiences including ministries of education and health, parents, schools, teachers, young people and ...
high as 87 percent for school-based sex ed pro-grams.4 Even worse, some programs actually re-sult in increased sexual activity, increased number of sex partners, and increased sexual experimenta-tion by students.5 And yet, school systems are devoting significant classroom time to them—70 hours per child
Introduction. School-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) aims to equip students with the knowledge, attitudes, values and skills necessary for making healthy informed choices about their sexual and reproductive lives and relationships (UNFPA Citation 2014).While many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have established national policies and curricula for sexuality education ...
London: Sage. Sexualities education denotes the range of pedagogical interventions with children and young. people around sexualities, reproduction and reproductive biology and rights, sexual ...
Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), Module 6: Sexual Health [PDF - 70 pages]. This module within CDC's HECAT includes the knowledge, skills, and health behavior outcomes specifically aligned to sexual health education. School and community leaders can use this module to develop, select, or revise SHE curricula and instruction.
A view from England and Wales. Sexuality education aims to develop and strengthen the ability of children and young people to make conscious, satisfying, healthy and respectful choices regarding relationships, sexuality and emotional and physical health. Sexuality education does not encourage children and young people to have sex.
49. Relationships education, RSE and health education must be differentiated to ensure these subjects are accessible for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including in special schools, and prepare pupils for adulthood,10 as set out in the SEND code of practice. 50.