.webp)
Sex education: the unit in middle or high school health class fraught with awkwardness. From labelling diagrams of the male and female reproductive systems to watching a video of childbirth to putting a condom on a banana, sex education in the United States claims to be focused on providing students the necessary information they need to navigate having sex safely. Sex education in the U.S. has its fair share of issues—including it only being mandated in 39 states, unclear conversations on what consent is, and problematic emphasis on abstinence—but one issue in particular makes it almost useless for nearly 25% of high schoolers: its lack of inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community.
Federally, there is no requirement for the states that teach sex education to include discussion of the LGBTQ+ community. Of the 39 states that do require sex education, only 7 of them require discussion of the LGBTQ+ community. And perhaps not shockingly, some states in the southern U.S. fully prohibit discussion of the LGBTQ+ community during sex education. One study found that only 8.2% of LGBTQ+ students reported receiving sex education that was inclusive for them, despite the fact that 85% and 78% of parents support sex education classes including discussion of the LGBTQ+ community in high school and middle school, respectively. More often than not, LGBTQ+ students in these classes are not given the information and resources they need to navigate safe sex and healthy relationships that their heterosexual and/or cisgender peers are.
Where does this leave these LGBTQ+ students? Compared to their heterosexual peers, LGBTQ+ students rely more on the internet (and potentially encounter inaccurate information) to learn about sexuality, health information, and STDs/STIs, as they do not get this information from their sex education classes or people in their lives. Fewer LGBTQ+ youth—mainly bisexual males—use condoms during sexual intercourse than their heterosexual peers due to limited or entirely nonexistent education on STDs and STIs like HIV and AIDS. LGBTQ+ students not being properly educated on HIV/AIDS may play a role in why LGBTQ+ populations (gay men, bisexual men, and transgender women) have been greatly affected by HIV/AIDS. Additionally, non-inclusive sex education may be a root of many issues faced by LGBTQ+ students, including: bullying as a result of homophobia; increased risk of developing depression and anxiety; and an increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence.
The solution seems simple: improve sex education in the U.S. by making it more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students. One way to do that is to implement comprehensive sex education in schools. Comprehensive sex education, as detailed by the World Health Organization, would “[give] young people accurate, age-appropriate information about sexuality and their sexual and reproductive health,” in addition to information about healthy relationships, consent, and bodily autonomy. Comprehensive sex education has been found to benefit LGBTQ+ students by lowering rates of homophobia, improving understanding of sexuality and gender identity, and raising awareness of social justice. Other benefits of comprehensive sex education—like improved media literacy, lower rates of intimate partner violence, and enhanced communication skills—are for the betterment of every student, regardless of their sexuality or gender.
Comprehensive sex education in the U.S. is limited in its implementation. Only three states—California, Oregon, and Washington—require all schools to teach comprehensive sex education, while two states—Colorado and Illinois—require schools to teach comprehensive sex education only if the school teaches sex education. Other states have tried to pass legislation to make comprehensive sex education available, such as the Massachusetts legislature repeatedly voting on and ultimately not passing the Healthy Youth Act. Only time will tell if more states will implement comprehensive sex education, given its clear benefits for all students as it pertains to their sexual, physical, and emotional well-being.
Students deserve to receive sex education that they can effectively use in their own lives, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. Simply ignoring discussion or mention of the LGBTQ+ community in this space does not make them disappear; it only makes them feel isolated and more likely to experience some form of harm. Like in many areas of life in the U.S., the LGBTQ+ community deserves better than this.
Works Cited
“Comprehensive Sexuality Education.” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/comprehensive-sexuality-education. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health.” Mental Health America, https://mhanational.org/resources/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health/. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“Sex Education Laws and State Attacks.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund, https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/sex-education/sex-education-laws-and-state-attacks. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“Sex Education in the United States.” Planned Parenthood, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/whats-state-sex-education-us. Accessed 1 June 2025.
State Lawmakers Say Yes to Consent Education. Guttmacher Institute, 7 Jan. 2020, https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2020/01/state-lawmakers-say-yes-consent-education. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“LGBTQ+ Youth Sex Education Report.” Planned Parenthood, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/41/d5/41d511c2-086f-4894-9df7-bb15ecf0d92e/call_to_action_lgbtq_sex_ed_report_-_final_2.pdf. Accessed 1 June 2025.
Johns, Michelle M., et al. “Trends in Health-Related Behaviors among High School Students Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 69, no. Suppl-1, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/su/su6901a4.htm. Accessed 1 June 2025.
Santelli, John S., et al. “Global Standards for Comprehensive Sexuality Education.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 66, no. 6, 2020, https://www.jahonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S1054-139X%2820%2930456-0. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“SIECUS State Profiles.” SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, https://siecus.org/siecus-state-profiles/. Accessed 1 June 2025.
“Massachusetts State Profile.” SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, https://siecus.org/stateprofiles/massachusetts-state-profile-22/. Accessed 1 June 2025.
.png)