SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change

Thrilled to share this new article that I co-authored.

In July, SIECUS turned 61 🎂

Since 1964, SIECUS has been committed to ensuring everyone has a quality sex education. Thank you to our supporters, donors, partners, staff, and board members over the decades who make our work possible.

Federal Judge Issues New Order Protecting All Planned Parenthood Clinics From Medicaid ‘Defunding’ The ruling is a “powerful reminder that patients, not politics, should guide health care,” Dominique Lee, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said.

Federal Judge Issues New Order Protecting All Planned Parenthood Clinics From Medicaid ‘Defunding’

buff.ly/VJcueXd

“Learning to… DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU” is written in bold black text on a cool tan background.

“Learning to… SET YOUR BOUNDARIES” is written in bold black text on a cool tan background.

“Learning to… SHARE ABOUT WHAT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD” is written in bold black text on a cool tan background.

“Learning to… TALK ABOUT THINGS AFTER” is written in bold black text on a cool tan background.

Drop your affirmations below 💬

“PUTTING THE SEX BACK IN SEX ED” is written in bold black text at the center of the image. The word “back” is italicized and beneath the statement reads “NOT THE ACT SILLY, EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH IT” in small black text. The background is a cloudy sky with a prominent cloud at the center where the text is.

As #DisabilityPrideMonth comes to an end, let's talk about what inclusive and affirming sex ed looks like in practice. Quality sex ed recognizes that sex is more than just the act, it's about building trust, communication, and understanding with ourselves and our partner(s).

#BodyPositive

But in real life, young people have real questions and lived experiences, and frankly, they're done with having to figure out the truth themselves. So let's be real with them.

Everyone deserves REAL sex ed. If you agree, join us in championing REAHYA 👇
siecus.org/sex-ed-is-un...

These people weaponized their belief system to push abstinence-only programs ruled not by facts but by fear. This group of people weaponized their beliefs to push abstinence-only programs ruled by fear. Sexuality became something to be policed.

Quality sex education has always been an important part of health, bodily autonomy and violence prevention. Somewhere along the way, however, some folks started pushing a twisted narrative that being informed means you are immoral.

#Advocacy #Education #PurityCulture

Photos of Guttmacher president and CEO Destiny Lopez alongside advocates at a reception marking the EACH Act's reintroduction

Photos of Guttmacher president and CEO Destiny Lopez sharing remarks at the reception marking the EACH Act's reintroduction

As the #EACH Act was reintroduced in Congress last week, our president and CEO Destiny Lopez joined @allaboveall.bsky.social social & other advocates fighting for reproductive freedom to share why the bill is more critical than ever.⬇️

Developed in partnership with SIECUS and others, the study complements our State Profiles by helping understand, interpret, and differentiate state law and the implementation of sex education policy.

Explore and download the study with the link below 👇

Policy does not equal Practice: We learned that assuming policies are fully implemented is often wrong. Gaps between law and classroom reality are common and critical to account for.

Adherence Can Be Quantified: We found it's both feasible and valuable to quantify how well schools follow state sex ed policies using existing CDC and SIECUS data.

Adherence Varies Widely: Implementation isn't uniform. Some elements (like abstinence) are widely followed, while others (like teacher training) are less often followed in schools.

Adherence Changes the Story: Including adherence in analysis reshapes how states cluster and alters outcome interpretations, making it essential for accurate policy evaluation.

In June, Columbia researchers Dr. Savannah Thais and Amaya Kejriwal and University of Cincinnati researcher Abhigyan Acherjee released From Policy to Practice: Quantifying Sex Education Policy Adherence for Improved Policy Impact Analysis.

Wondering why your state's grade doesn't match your sex ed experience?

Introducing From Policy to Practice: Quantifying Sex Education Policy Adherence for Improved Policy Impact Analysis

Wondering why your state's grade doesn't quite match your sex ed experience in the classroom? A new study breaks it down 💡

#Education #Policy #Research

‘We Are the Experts of Our Experiences’: Why Renee Bracey Sherman Wants You to Tell Your Abortion Story ‘We Are the Experts of Our Experiences’: Why Renee Bracey Sherman Wants You to Tell Your Abortion Story in the Post-Roe, Trump Era

"if you’ve had an abortion, you are so deeply loved."

for the latest ep of "looking back, moving forward," i talked to @renee.bsky.social about the power of abortion stories—and changing the narrative on reproductive rights.

tune in + read more @msmagazine.com! msmagazine.com/2025/07/24/r...

Over a million queer women rely on Medicaid. What happens if they lose it? Lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be low-income, more likely to be parents and more likely to rely on Medicaid. They could fall through the cracks of Trump’s new tax law.

Lesbian and bisexual women experience higher rates of poverty than cisgender gay and bisexual men, and they are often primary caregivers. Those two factors have made Medicaid a crucial lifeline.

Parents who oppose sex education in schools often don’t discuss it at home Comprehensive sex education has benefits, but the birds and the bees appear to be a taboo topic for some families.

Author and Professor and Chair of Public Health at Gonzaga University, Robin Pickering, referenced SIECUS's State Profiles and Top 10 Best/Worst Sex Ed States in an article for The Conversation.

Read the full article 🗞️

For young people whose parents oppose sex education at school, it often does not happen at home either.

Telehealth abortion access could be challenged nationwide in new lawsuit A Texas man is suing a California doctor over his girlfriend’s alleged abortion across state lines — the latest in a string of cases meant to test the laws that have helped people get care.

A Texas man is suing a California doctor over his girlfriend’s alleged abortion across state lines — the latest in a string of cases meant to test the laws that have helped people get care.

“Overall grade” is written at the top right in bold orange text. A maroon square with round edges and a bold tan letter F is below. On the left side reads a list of 13 states, stacked vertically: Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah, Arkansas, Indiana, Arizona “2025 SIECUS Sex Education Report Card” is written at the bottom in smaller orange text.

Stay tuned for more highlights from SIECUS's NEW 2025 State Profiles and Sex Education Report Card over the next weeks 💡
siecus.org/siecus-state...

“Flunked sex ed?” is written in bold orange text followed by “So did these 13 states” in bold black text. “2025 SIECUS State Profile Highlights” is written at the bottom in smaller orange text. The background is tan.

Flunked sex ed? An alarming 13 states did, leaving out crucial topics from consent to menstrual health and even medically accurate information. No young person should be uninformed about their bodies and unprepared to navigate sex, health, and relationships.

Today is #ZeroHIVStigma Day.

Stigma is still one of the biggest barriers to care, support, & healing for people living with HIV, especially in Black communities. It shows up in silence, misinformation, & judgment, but it doesn’t have to.

Swipe to learn how!

36 states and DC require HIV/STI instruction but nearly half have do not require instruction to be age-appropriate, medically accurate, culturally responsive, or evidence-based/evidence-informed.

Sex education often serves as young people's introduction to HIV symptoms, prevention, and treatment. On #ZeroHIVStigmaDay, we're reaffirming that quality sex ed is one of most powerful interventions against disinformation and stigma.

#HIV #HIVPrevention

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Sex education can and must be a force against the barriers lack of awareness and understanding create that bleed into the personal, social, and policy contexts around pregnant and postpartum experiences.

Writer and author, Rainesford Stauffer (@rainesford.bsky.social), peers behind the curtain and into the lives of pregnant and parenting dancers in her latest article for ELLE Magazine 🩰

Dive into the full article with us!

#ReproductiveJustice #Pregnancy

Text on blue background, says "Findings from our Monthly Provision Study: Since Dobbs, state bans have had sweeping & harmful effects on abortion access in the US."

Violet and navy text on a white background says, "155,000 people in the United States traveled out of states for abortion care in 2024." Below, navy text says, "81,000 people traveled out of state to obtain an abortion in 2020."

New data: 155,000 people traveled out of state for abortion care in 2024.

Since Dobbs, state bans have had sweeping, detrimental effects on the US #AbortionAccess landscape.

No one should be forced to leave their state for essential abortion care.

More: gu.tt/3G1Wtzn

Home - State of Access : A Contraceptive Policy Scorecard

Today, SIECUS joined @prbdata.bsky.social for the launch of State of Access: A Contraceptive Policy Scorecard

In April, SIECUS released our If/Then Series: Contraception with Power to Decide. Since then, our 2025 State Profiles found that 23 states and DC require instruction on condoms or contraception, up from 21 last year. Safe sex is a policy choice.
siecus.org/resource/if-...

What Medicaid and SNAP cuts mean for LGBTQ+ people Trump's "one big, beautiful" tax and spending law is poised to make drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — programs on which many LGBTQ+ Americans rely.

Trump's "one big, beautiful" tax and spending law is poised to make drastic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — programs on which many LGBTQ+ Americans rely.

Did you know that the first over-the-counter birth control pill was FDA approved in 2023?

That’s thanks to the coalition-driven movement led by Free The Pill! Join us in celebrating the 2 years of @opill_otc on store shelves & spread the word so *everyone* knows about OTC birth control pills! 🥳🎂