Change the lives of millions of young people by ensuring access to quality sex education.

We are calling on the members of the State Board of Education to adopt an abstinence-plus position on sex education during the 2020 Health Education TEKS revisions. Adopting an abstinence-plus position means including medically accurate and inclusive sexual health information on the following topics:

• Contraception and pregnancy
• Puberty and reproduction
• Consent and healthy relationships
• STI prevention and treatment
• LGBTQ inclusion and respect

We know that the majority of Texans* believe Texas public schools should provide education that goes beyond abstinence. We also know that some feel otherwise. Now, more than ever, we have to make our voices heard. Add your name to the petition for better sex ed today.

*Based on a 2020 public opinion poll conducted by the Republican research organization Baselice and Associates, no less than 75% of Texans support including these sexual health topics in public schools.
 

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We recommend the State Board of Education adopt the following standards:

Contraception and pregnancy

Nearly 4 out of 5 Texans agree that sex education in public schools should teach students about condoms and contraception*

• Teach reproduction so students learn age-appropriate concepts that frame it in the larger context of biology
• Describe maternal health factors, including mental health
• Include the benefits and potential side effects of all contraceptive methods, including long-acting reversible contraception, which is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy
• Encourage students to reflect on parental responsibilities and identify life goals they hope to accomplish prior to parenthood
• Provide resources for strengthening families, and note the importance of paternal involvement

Puberty and reproduction

More than 9 in 10 Texans support teaching the physical and emotional issues of puberty*

• Puberty and menstruation information, including emotional change, hygiene, and menstrual products
• Information on the role of hormones as they relate to individuals' anatomical and physiological changes, development, and personal health
• Thorough menstrual cycle information related to its relationship to fertilization
• Information on puberty’s relationship to sexual health and reproduction, including healthy menstruation variations and factors that may impact menstrual cycles

Consent and healthy relationships

Nearly 9 out of 10 Texans believe that sex education should teach about consent, including respecting the boundaries of others*

• Instruction on respecting boundaries set by others and on how students have the right to set their own boundaries regarding their bodies
• Skill-building for healthy friendships, including communication, healthy expressions of emotion, and self-regulation
• Educating about consent in age-appropriate contexts, such as holding hands or kissing
• Emphasizing dating violence is always wrong
• Describing traits of healthy relationships, prevention of dating violence, and key concepts around consent, including the ways in which drugs or alcohol affect one’s ability to give consent

STI prevention and treatment

Nearly 9 out of 10 Texans support teaching about prevention, screening, and treatment of STIs, including HIV*

• Describe sexually transmitted infections and emphasize the importance of testing
• Include medically-accurate content on prevention, including abstinence, barrier methods, and HIV prevention medication

LGBTQ inclusion and respect

3 out of 4 Texans support promoting respect for people of all sexual orientations*

• Teach the importance of respecting every person for who they are and the negative consequences of bullying
• Demonstrate strategies for showing respect for individual differences such as race, physical appearance, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status
• Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people
• Develop a plan to promote dignity and respect for all people in the school community

*Statistics sourced from Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2020 Polling Data conducted by Baselice and Associates

 
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Get involved, learn more, and sign up to share your testimony at September’s public hearing by visiting texasisready.org.