Students Exposed to Sex Education

Sex education (sometimes referred to as health education or sex ed) has long been a contentious topic in the U.S., Oklahoma included.

Some argue that the topics covered in sex education curricula are highly sensitive and best left to parents. It’s true that parents and caregivers play a fundamental role as their children’s first teachers, guiding them on safety, healthy relationships, and how to make responsible choices when it comes to sex. However, providing sex education in schools ensures that every student has access to accurate, age-appropriate information — giving all adolescents the tools they need to make informed, healthy decisions.

Critics have also expressed concern that sex education might encourage sexual activity or risky behavior. However, research consistently shows the opposite: in areas with comprehensive sex education, teen pregnancy rates dropped by an average of 3%. Other critical indicators also improve, including lower rates of sexual activity, risk behaviors like unprotected sex, and STIs.

Contrastingly, incomplete or inaccurate sex ed doesn’t reduce these adverse outcomes: instead, it increases psychological harm. For example, some health education curriculum taught in the U.S. suggest that a person loses value if they have multiple partners (e.g., using tape or chewing gum as metaphors), or inaccurately places blame for HIV and AIDS on the LGBTQ+ community. The latter is mandated in Oklahoma’s HIV/AIDS education policies.

Quality, compassionate sex education is essential for all students; however, significant disparities exist in both the quality and availability of sex-ed for students with physical or cognitive disabilities. Disabled students are too often stigmatized as being uninterested in or incapable of sexual activity — an assumption that is both inaccurate and harmful. Research shows that disabled students are just as likely to be sexually active as their non-disabled peers, but are less likely to receive adequate sexual education and at a higher risk of sexual abuse/coercion. In Oklahoma, individuals with disabilities make up more than 10% of adolescents aged 16–20 – and those numbers are even higher for younger students. These figures highlight the need for not just implementation of sex education in OK schools, but also an inclusive curriculum.

Sex education is often conceptualized as only educating students about reproduction, puberty, and sexual health. However, its curriculum has evolved to address interpersonal relationships (such as healthy romantic relationships and indications of trafficking) and consent. Experts have pointed out that if students do not receive comprehensive education, many turn to inadequate or harmful sources to fill in their knowledge gaps.