Only just over a third of U.S. states require sexual education in public schools to be medically accurate, researchers said on Friday, potentially preventing tens of millions of students from receiving crucial information about sexual health.
While 42 states ask students to take a course that covers at least one “sex ed” topic between kindergarten and high school, just 19 mandate that the information be evidence-based and supported by the medical community, according to a new analysis from the Boston University School of Public Health. And five of those states require accuracy for specific topics, which may include sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, and unhealthy relationships.
