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sex ed for all month
May Is Sex Ed for All Month!

#SexEdForAll Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and call for real investment in sex education in schools and communities across the country. 

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March 14, 2023

The seasons are changing, and May will be here before you know it. That means it’s time to start getting ready for Sex Ed for All Month!

Since 2019, May has been recognized as Sex Ed for All Month. Sex Ed for All Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and call for real investment in sex education in schools and communities across the country.

Why Sex Ed for All Month?

Sex Ed For All Month is coordinated by the Sex Education Collaborative, in collaboration with a national coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring equitable and accessible sex education for ALL young people nationwide.

Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives. But too many young people don’t have access to high-quality sex education.

Each May, we invite you to join us as we collectively (and loudly!) voice our commitment to work toward a world where all young people—no matter where they live or how they identify—get equitable access to the education and care they deserve.

While May was formerly known as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the shift to Sex Ed for All Month marked a dramatic turn away from what was previously often stigmatizing and problematic messaging. Instead, we want to stand with young people, so they have the power and the right to access the sex education and health care they need to achieve the best positive outcomes for themselves.

It’s a month focused on providing young people with the sexual health information and access to resources they need and deserve in order to make healthy decisions for themselves. While existing federal funding for evidence-based sex education is critical, it alone cannot meet the national need. Too many young people go without the sexual health information and access to care that they deserve.

Sex education is about so much more than risk reduction and disease prevention. Shifting to Sex Ed for All Month provides an opportunity to adjust the lens through which our field has historically viewed adolescent sexual and reproductive health and address more holistically the sex education young people deserve so they can have healthy relationships, make healthy decisions, and have positive health outcomes.

Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives.

Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships, without shame or judgment. It 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 or inaccurate.

Want more background on why we celebrate Sex for All Month? Check out these resources on why sex ed is essential, how parents and youth really do agree on sex ed for all, and why we reframed May as Sex Ed for All Month.

Together, by advocating in our communities, we can ensure Sex Ed for All.

Whether it’s your first or fifth time recognizing Sex Ed for All Month, we invite you to join us as we collectively (and loudly!) voice our commitment to work toward a world where all young people—no matter who they are or where they live—get equitable access to the sex education they deserve.

What’s Happening This Year?

We’re working out all the details now, and we’ll be sure to let you know more as soon as possible.

To get a sense of what’s to come, last year, we provided a complete tool kit with ready-made materials for you to adapt and use to promote Sex Ed for All Month. The tool kit included:

  • Events list and suggested calendar
  • Email announcement template
  • News release template
  • Talking points
  • Graphics
  • Social media posts

Past events have included a Congressional resolution demarking May as Sex Ed For All Month, the introduction of the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REHYA), a youth town hall, a congressional briefing, and a state legislator panel.

We will be in touch soon about what’s coming for May 2023.

What Can I Do for Sex Ed for All Month?

The sky’s the limit! As with any observance or awareness month, we invite you to create your own events and more. But we also hope you’ll join us in our promotion efforts and activities.

1. Engage your community–especially the young people you work with.

  • Ask the youth you serve what they want to say and do to promote Sex Ed for All. And then support and empower them in their efforts.
  • Engage with parents and caregivers to encourage them to know the rules and standards at their youths’ school and advocate for change.

 2. Educate and advocate for sex ed.

3. Join us in our events (to be announced).

  • Come to share and learn at our Sex Ed for All Month events.
  • Encourage others in your community to attend.

 4. Spread the word on social media.

  • Use the #SexEdforAll hashtag.
  • Make use of the graphics and suggested posts we’ll be sharing–share them throughout the month of May. And of course, add your own.
  • Encourage others to share/create their own, as well.

One thing’s for sure–there is no Sex Ed for All Month without you!

Want More Info?

Check out the Sex Education Collaborative for more information about why we recognize May as Sex Ed for All Month.

PHOTO CREDIT: Drobot Dean on Adobe Stock

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe every young person has the right to be who they are and love who they love. And we see you, the professionals and caring adults, helping them do this. We know you do your best when you're connected to great opportunities and resources. That's why we're here...to help make those connections and support you. Read more about us.