The History of Sexuality Education

By egross15

  • The National Education Association (NEA) first discussed Sexuality Education

  • The National Education called for first teacher training programs in sexuality education.

  • Chicago became the first major city to implement Sex Education in their school systems.

  • Sexuality Education was introduced to all American public school systems.

    Sexuality Education was introduced to all American public school systems.

  • Chamberlain-Kahn Act

    Chamberlain-Kahn Act

    An STI outbreak during WWI led Congress to get involved and pass the Chamberlain-Kahn Act. This program provided money to educate soldiers about syphilis and gonorrhea.

  • The U.S. Public Health Service advocated sexuality education in schools saying that it was an "urgent need".

  • The American School Health Association launched a nationwide program in family life education.

  • The first wave of organized opposition to sex education in schools.

  • SIECUS

    SIECUS

    Dr. Mary S. Calderone founded Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). The program was founded because of the concern about the lack of accurate information about sexuality for both young people and adults. It dominated the sex education curriculum development.

  • First reports of young men contracting AIDS (though it was not yet known what the disease was).

    On June 5, 1981 the CDC published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing 5 young gay men in the Los Angeles area that had developed a rare lung infection. All of the men reported experiencing other problems that indicated their immune systems were not working. Two of the men died before the report was even published.
  • The CDC uses the term AIDS for the first time.

    The CDC uses the term AIDS for the first time.

  • Sex education started being added into courses such as family life education or human growth and development.

  • U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying that AIDS and sex education should be taught in all schools beginning in the third grade.

    U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying that AIDS and sex education should be taught in all schools beginning in the third grade.

  • Welfare Reform Act

    Religious conservatives helped add provisions for abstinence education in the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. The Government then helped out by providing money for abstinence-education programs for the first time.
  • Obama

    Obama

    Obama got elected as president and advocated comprehensive sex education and cut funds for abstinence-only sex education programs.

  • The REAL Act

    Barbara Lee and Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced the Responsible Education About Life Act. The bill provided money to ensure comprehensive sexuality education that is age-appropriate, medically accurate, and stresses abstinence while also teaching our youth about contraception. The programs would also focus on family communication, responsible decision-making, and negotiation skills.