Bill Summary
The resolution supports May as "Sex Ed For All Month: Equity and Access for All," advocating for comprehensive and inclusive sex education for young people across the United States. It highlights the systemic inequities and barriers that many young individuals face in accessing sexual health education and services, particularly among marginalized communities.
Key points of the resolution include:
1. **Recognition of Disparities**: It acknowledges ongoing racial and social disparities in sexual health outcomes, including high rates of unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among youth.
2. **Importance of Comprehensive Education**: The resolution emphasizes that comprehensive sex education—which includes information on consent, healthy relationships, and sexual health—is essential in empowering young people, reducing risks, and promoting gender and racial equity.
3. **Call to Action**: It urges public officials, educators, and community organizations to advocate for and invest in effective sex education programs that are evidence-informed, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of diverse youth populations.
4. **Commitment to Inclusion**: The resolution emphasizes the importance of culturally competent care and the need for educational programs that address the unique experiences of all young individuals, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.
Ultimately, the resolution seeks to mobilize support for initiatives that ensure all young people have access to the information and resources necessary to make informed decisions about their sexual health and relationships.
Possible Impacts
The "Sex Ed For All Month" resolution aims to promote equitable access to comprehensive sex education. Here are three examples of how this legislation could affect people:
1. **Improved Health Outcomes for Young People**: By advocating for comprehensive sex education, the resolution may lead to better health outcomes for young people, particularly in reducing rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Studies cited in the resolution indicate that those who receive comprehensive sex education are significantly less likely to experience unintended pregnancies and STIs, thus empowering young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health.
2. **Increased Inclusivity and Safety in Educational Settings**: The resolution encourages sex education that is inclusive of diverse gender identities and expressions, as well as sexual orientations. This could lead to safer school environments for LGBTQ+ youth, who currently report high levels of harassment and feelings of unsafety. By fostering an educational climate that promotes understanding and acceptance, young people may feel more secure and supported, which can enhance their overall well-being and academic performance.
3. **Addressing Systemic Inequities**: The resolution underscores the importance of culturally competent and equitable sex education, particularly for marginalized communities. By prioritizing programs that respond to the unique needs of Black, indigenous, Latino, Asian, and other communities of color, the legislation aims to rectify historical disparities in access to sexual health information and services. This could lead to greater awareness of and resources for these communities, ultimately contributing to improved health equity and social justice.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 445 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 445
Supporting the goals and ideals of the month of May as Sex Ed For All
Month: Equity and Access for All.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2025
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Ms. Adams, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Clarke of New
York, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Simon,
and Ms. Tokuda) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of the month of May as Sex Ed For All
Month: Equity and Access for All.
Whereas Sex Ed For All Month is a nationwide observance that calls on people to
take action to invest so as to ensure all young people have access to
inclusive and honest sex education;
Whereas young people face vast systemic inequities and structural barriers to
ensuring their lifelong health;
Whereas racial disparities persist in young people's sexual health, highlighting
ongoing social inequities in access to sex education as well as sexual
health services;
Whereas access to quality information and education about young people's sexual
health is a critical step toward addressing disparities caused by
structural barriers;
Whereas, despite historic declines, the United States has the highest rate of
unintended teen pregnancy among comparable countries and limited
resources available for young parents;
Whereas young people aged 15 through 25 contract half of the 20 million sexually
transmitted infections each year, despite making up only a quarter of
the sexually active population;
Whereas young people under the age of 25 accounted for 1 in 5 new HIV
transmissions;
Whereas three-quarters of LGBT students report harassment, 68 percent report
feeling unsafe, and 32 percent skipped at least 1 day of school in the
month prior to reporting due to concerns for their safety;
Whereas 41 percent of women, 26 percent of men, and 54 percent of transgender
and nonconforming individuals have experienced sexual, physical, or
emotional abuse from a dating partner in their lifetime;
Whereas sex education that includes information beyond abstinence has been found
to delay sexual intercourse, increase condom or contraceptive use,
reduce the number of partners among young people, and decrease physical
aggression with intimate partners;
Whereas young people who received sex education are 50 percent less likely to
experience an unintended pregnancy, 31 percent less likely to contract a
sexually transmitted infection, and more likely to delay sexual activity
and use contraception upon becoming sexually active;
Whereas sex education provides information about the prevention, treatment, and
care of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and interpersonal
violence; the importance of consent as a basis for healthy relationships
and for autonomy in health care; sexual orientation, gender roles, and
gender discrimination; and the historical and current conditions in
which education and health systems, policies, programs, services, and
practices have uniquely adversely impacted Black, indigenous, Latino,
Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and other
people of color, and ensure programs are designed with tenants of
culturally competent and inclusive care;
Whereas sex education promotes gender equity, and is inclusive of young people
with varying gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual
orientations; safe and healthy relationships; and racial equity ensuring
responsiveness to the needs of young people who are Black, indigenous,
and other people of color;
Whereas sex education promotes and upholds the rights of young people to
information that empowers them to make decisions about their bodies,
health, sexuality, families, and communities in all areas of life; and
Whereas May of each year is now recognized as Sex Ed For All Month: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Sex Ed For All Month;
(2) calls on all public and elected officials to advocate
for and invest in sex education legislation;
(3) encourages State and local governments, including their
public health agencies, educational agencies, schools, and
media organizations to recognize and support Sex Ed For All
Month;
(4) commends the work of community and faith-based
organizations, State educational agencies, local educational
agencies, and health centers that are providing sex education
to young people;
(5) should prioritize sex education programs that are
evidence-informed, comprehensive in scope, confidential,
equitable, accessible, medically accurate and complete, age and
developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, trauma-
informed, and resilience-oriented;
(6) discourages health education programs that withhold
health-promoting or life-saving information about sexuality-
related topics, including HIV; are medically inaccurate or
incomplete; promote gender or racial stereotypes or are
unresponsive to gender or racial inequities; fail to address
the needs of sexually active young people, pregnant, parenting,
or co-parenting young people, survivors of interpersonal
violence, or youth of all physical, developmental, or mental
abilities; fail to be inclusive of individuals with varying
gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations;
or are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine
and public health;
(7) recommends implementation of sex education in schools
and continued professional development for educators and
administrative staff that work with young people; and
(8) calls for all youth-serving professionals, educators,
and decision makers who impact the lives of youth to take
action to ensure access to inclusive and honest sex education
for all young people.
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