U.S. Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA) to help strengthen access to sex education and sexual health services for young adults and end federal funding for abstinence-only student programs.
“Currently, too many young people across our country are deprived of access to comprehensive, evidence-based sex education and sexual health services,” Senator Hirono said in a release from her office. “Comprehensive sex education helps young people make safer, healthier decisions. The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act will enable young people to make informed decisions and reduce health disparities experienced by underserved communities.”
Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the release said. The goal of the legislation is to help those impacted by barriers to sex education and access to care.
“Every young person in our country deserves access to comprehensive and inclusive sex education and sexual health services,” Booker said in the release. “It is unacceptable that so many states still lack evidence-based sex education. We must address these disparities and ensure that all young people, especially those from underserved communities, receive the comprehensive education and support they need.”
Currently, only 38 states and the District of Columbia require sex education or Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) education, per release. Also, when sex education is taught, 13 states do not require the content to be evidence-informed, medically accurate and complete, age and developmentally appropriate or culturally responsive.
The release said many sex education programs and sexual health services are inaccessible to or do not meet the needs of young people who are LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, or from other marginalized communities. “By promoting more comprehensive approaches to sex education, we can empower students to make informed decisions about their sexual health and break down barriers to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all,” Booker said.
REAHYA would offer the first federal grants for comprehensive sex education programs in the United States and end federal funding for what the release says are "harmful Title V abstinence-only programs." According to the release, these grants would fund programs at high schools, colleges, and organizations to support the sexual health and agency of students and young people.
Program grantees would be required to promote gender equity and offer instruction that is inclusive of young people with varying gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.
This bill has been endorsed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS); Planned Parenthood; the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Equality California; and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The legislation had been previously introduced in May 2021 but did not emerge out of committee in the 2017th Congress.
The 75-year-old Hirono is now seeking her third six-year term after announcing her plans to seek reelection earlier this year.