The Universal Standards for Optimal Sexual Development: The Educational Framework to Equip Youth for Health and Wholeness links research that is current and reliable with a primary prevention approach that is relevant to today’s youth. These standards provide proven assets essential for human flourishing and well-being and will help young people establish lifelong habits of healthy decision-making. The standards are a valuable tool and will benefit those who work in education, government, social services, health care, or non-profit youth development, as well as parents who are looking to impact local education.
Suggested Guidelines for Sex Ed Policies
1. The organization, entities, or individuals offering or presenting the program or lessons should fill out a conflict of interest statement verifying that they do not profit from services that children might need if they become sexuality active, including abortion, condoms, sexual counseling, contraception, STD testing, treatment or care.
2. Parents must be notified in advance when any discussions regarding sexual matters will occur in their children’s classes regardless of the topic of the class. Parents must consent in advance in writing to their child’s participation in such discussions and opt in their child.
3. No surveys, questionnaires or information-gathering tools may be used to question students regarding their views on sexual matters or sexual experiences without the prior written consent of parents.
4. Discussions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity issues shall not be held without the prior consent and knowledge of parents.
5. All discussions regarding sex or sexual relations shall be respectful of the cultural and religious values of the families the students represent.
6. At no time shall any teacher, counselor, school official, volunteer, or outside entity or person provide any kind of sexual counseling or reproductive health services for a student without the express prior consent of the child’s parent or legal guardian.
Suggested Guidelines for Sex Ed Curriculum Content
The curriculum or course materials should:
1. Present the biological facts relating to sexual intercourse, conception and pregnancy in a positive factual manner.
2. Be focused on encouraging children and teens to abstain from sexual relations (not just sexual intercourse) and not encourage or condone sexual relations of any kind among teens.
3. Include information on teen brain development as it relates to impulse control including the fact that the brain is not fully developed until the early twenties.
4. Discuss how consumption of alcohol and drug use of any kind can impair judgment and lead to poor decisions when it comes to sexual decision making.
5. Present statistics from the most current peer-reviewed studies available on all of the following:
- Outcomes for teens that remain abstinent compared to teens that become sexually active in the areas of depression, suicide rates, success in school, sexual and physical abuse rates, contracting of diseases, substance abuse and future marriage and divorce rates.
- Outcomes for couples that cohabitate compared to those that marry in the area of depression, suicide, poverty and wealth, physical and sexual abuse, violence, marriage rates, success in college, and divorce rates.
- Outcomes for single, never married mothers compared to married women in the areas of domestic violence, wealth, physical and emotional health, sexual abuse or physical abuse of them or their children.
- Outcomes for men, women, and children when married couples divorce compared to those that stay married.
- The addictive nature of pornography including information about the chemicals released in the brain, the effect these chemicals can have on the viewer, and the impact long-term viewing of pornography has on the brain.
- The new phenomena of increasing numbers of young men developing erectile dysfunction after years of viewing pornography.
6. Present discussions or lesson materials about contraception that:
- Include current statistics regarding failure rates for condoms and contraception resulting in pregnancy or a sexually transmitted diseases. Students should be made aware of the research showing that even adults, let alone children, do not use condoms correctly every time, even when they intend to.
- Describe the symptoms and long-lasting health effects of sexually transmitted diseases. Information regarding sexually transmitted diseases shall include the fact that HPV can be contracted by skin-to-skin contact and that condoms cannot protect against HPV.
- Provide current national and state statistics regarding sexually transmitted disease infection rates in youth.
- Present scientific information on how the emotional, psychological and physiological impact of teen sex differs in males and females including the effect of oxytocin and other chemicals released in the brain during sexual intercourse or arousal and the role brain chemicals play in attachment.
- For girls, the curriculum shall include information on the immaturity of the cervix at their age that makes them more vulnerable for contracting STIs.
The curriculum, course or program should not:
1. Present graphic, explicit , scintillating, pornographic or titillating materials nor use materials that are intended to eroticize or encourage sexual behavior of any kind among students.
2. Refer students, raise awareness of or promote any sexually related clubs, associations, organizations, or businesses that advocate for abortion or promote sexual rights of any kind.
3. Promote or encourage masturbation, abortion, or anal or oral sex or discuss means of obtaining sexual pleasure.
4. Contain discussions regarding oral sex must be in the context of health risks and current statistics showing a rise in infection rates among youth should be presented.
5. Contain any discussions regarding anal sex must be in the context of health risks and include the following facts:
- Condoms do not provide reliable protection against STIs during anal sex.
- Anal sex carries a much higher risk for infection than vaginal sex.
6. Encourage cross dressing or transgender behaviors or teach that sex change is a biological possibility or a desirable option for youth who may struggle with gender identity. Statistics showing that the majority of children who experience gender confusion as youth grow out of it should be presented. Any discussions regarding gender identity or gender confusion should be referred to parents.
7. No discussions should be allowed that denigrate or belittle religious beliefs or values regarding sex, gender or sexuality.