Sex Ed for All Month is spearheaded by the Sex Education Collaborative in coordination with a national coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring sex education for all young people. PPMI joins local, state, and national partners in advocating year-round for a world where all young people — no matter who they are or where they live — get the affirming and inclusive sex education they deserve.
Sex education that gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate, and culturally relevant information without being shamed or judged is vital. Sex education that is inclusive and covers a wide range of topics helps young people learn how to have healthy relationships, make informed decisions, love themselves for who they are, and have respect and compassion for others, including those who are different from them. Research also shows that sex education that is culturally responsive and intersectional helps young people develop the social and emotional skills that lead to better communication and improve a sense of self, community, responsibility, and safety. Sex education helps in the prevention of dating and intimate partner violence, improves understanding of gender equity, and builds skills to protect against misinformation and disinformation, both online and from peers.
Sex education 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, inaccurate, or limited. Without a national sex education program or full funding at the federal level, the quality of programs varies across the country. In Michigan, HIV education is required but sex education is optional, and there are several restrictions on what, if, or how topics can be covered. Without adequate or inclusive sex education or access to things like contraception, information on abortion, or gender-affirming care, young people suffer, particularly our most vulnerable youth — LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color.
All young people deserve the facts about sex and relationships — free of shame, stigma, and personal or political agendas, no matter who they are, where they live, or what their income is. PPMI delivers life-affirming and life-saving sex education all across Michigan. We offer programs in and out of schools, in community and faith-based settings, for parents and guardians, in recovery centers, online, in digital and print zines, and more. We partner with parents, teachers, teen and college peer educators, sexual health ambassadors, youth-serving professionals, and experts in the field to ensure young people can get the information and skills they need to make healthy decisions now and in the future.
We all want the best education for our kids, including sex education. Parents/caregivers want their kids to have the facts and feel safe and supported at school. In recent polls, 96% of parents support having sex education in high school, and 84% of parents support having sex education in middle school. Sex education that includes LGBTQ+ identities has been shown to reduce bullying, discrimination, and harassment, which also makes schools safer for all youth.
PPMI is committed to helping improve sex ed in schools and is working closely with state and local partners like the Michigan Organization of Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH) to help raise awareness and call for changes in how sex education can be provided in schools. You can take action to advocate for sex education in your community, too!
Ask young people what, if any, sex education they’ve had 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 from your local school’s PTA and/or school board how sex education is taught in your community. This includes how often and when sex education is being taught, as well as what and how topics are covered. You can also help make recommendations about sex education at your local school district by serving on the Sex Education Advisory Board or advocating within your communities or online for inclusive, medically accurate, comprehensive sex ed.
This #SexEdForAll Month, learn more about how sex ed saves lives at https://sexeducationcollaborative.org/sex-ed-all-month.
Learn more about PPMI programs at https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-michigan/local-education-training.
Tags: