Debate grows as schools face new pressures on teaching comprehensive sex education

Sex education teachers across the United States are facing increasing challenges as they navigate changing state policies, federal pressures, and rising parental concerns over curriculum content. In Michigan, Krystalyn Musselman, a sex education teacher at Tecumseh Public Schools, continues to use an anonymous question box in her classroom. The tool allows students to ask questions about sexual health without fear of exposure. "We do not actually teach or address gender identity or gender expression — that was something the curriculum review committee didn’t want," Musselman said. "That was the give-and-take. We got a sexual-orientation lesson, but we didn’t get a gender one."

Recent updates to Michigan’s health education standards included recommendations for lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity, although local districts retain significant discretion over what is ultimately taught. Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, said these changes lend credibility to including such topics in schools: "There’s now an opportunity for teachers to go to their school board or advisory board and be like, ‘This is the state guidance’," Gal stated. "It provides legitimacy that this is evidence-based, age-appropriate content that’s recommended by the state."

However, efforts to update curricula have sparked resistance from some parents and grassroots campaigns concerned about parental rights and content related to LGBTQ+ topics. Misinformation has circulated about whether parents would lose the right to opt their children out of sex education classes.

Educators in other states are reporting similar tensions. Laura, a Maryland-based sex educator who spoke under condition of anonymity due to concerns about retaliation from her district, noted a recent increase in parental requests for exemptions from her classes—rising from about 1 percent before 2023 to approximately 2 percent now. "So it’s not a huge percentage, but it’s definitely a 100 percent increase," Laura said.

Rachel Lotus, founder and director of The Talk NYC—which works with New York City public schools—has also observed more vocal opposition from some parents regarding inclusive frameworks in sex education: "I had a parent in a high school who reached out — not to me, but to the school — to protest against broadening this framework of what sex is," Lotus explained.

Historically, comprehensive sexual health education has been inconsistent across states due largely to the lack of a federal mandate; curriculum decisions are typically made at the state or district level. The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), created under the Affordable Care Act in 2010, marked a shift toward abstinence-plus models but left much flexibility for local adaptation.

Only nine states currently require instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation within comprehensive sex-education classes. According to SIECUS (the Sexuality Information and Education Council), nearly half of U.S. states receive low marks for their handling of LGBTQ+ topics in sex ed curricula. A Guttmacher policy report from 2025 found that just over half of states require medically accurate information in sex and HIV education programs; several others have laws restricting discussions on these subjects.

In Mississippi—where only abstinence-only or abstinence-plus approaches are permitted—students continue asking questions about LGBTQ-related issues despite such topics being absent from official curricula. Josh McCawley of Teen Health Mississippi confirmed: "In all of the curricula, there’s no actual written information on LGBTQ-related issues…this is pretty much the most popular topic for student questions."

Research indicates that inclusive environments can benefit student well-being significantly. Zach Eisenstein from The Trevor Project stated: "LGBTQ+ students who said they learned about LGBTQ+ people or issues in the classroom reported 23 percent lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who did not."

Teachers often use strategies like anonymous question boxes or reframing student queries into constructive discussions as ways to foster understanding while adhering strictly to policy limits. For some educators like Laura in Maryland—where opting out means missing all instruction related not just to gender identity but also consent and contraception—the goal remains ensuring students do not lose access entirely: "I have about a 50-percent success rate of parents being like, ‘You know what? Actually, that’s fine. Go ahead and include them. I think it’ll be OK’,” she said.

The debate over how best—and how much—to teach young people about sexuality continues amid shifting political climates and evolving community standards nationwide.