Are STI Rates Rising? A Plain-Language Explainer (2026)
Quick answer: STI rates rose for most of the past decade, and while reported cases fell 9% in 2024, they are still 13% higher than ten years ago. Congenital syphilis rose for the 12th straight year (CDC, 2024 provisional data). Experts point to several drivers: less consistent condom use, weakened public health funding, stigma that […]
Half the Population, Not Half the Research: The Women’s Health Gap
Quick answer: The women’s health gap is the difference in health outcomes, research and care between women and men. A 2024 World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute report found women spend about 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, and linked the gap partly to underinvestment in research and data (McKinsey […]
How to Talk to Your Kids About Puberty: Scripts by Age
Quick answer: Start early and keep it simple: use correct names for body parts in the preschool years, explain that bodies will change around ages 6–8, and give details about periods, growth and hygiene before changes begin, usually by age 8 or 9. Puberty typically starts between 8 and 13 for girls and 9 and […]
Sex Education Statistics in America (2026, Sourced)
Quick answer: Sex education in the U.S. is uneven: 41 states and D.C. require sex or HIV education, but only 26 require it to be medically accurate (Guttmacher). Meanwhile the CDC counted more than 2.2 million STI cases in 2024, still 13% above a decade earlier (CDC), and more than 9 in 10 parents say […]
Why Sex Education Matters: The Evidence in 5 Minutes
Quick answer: Sex education matters because accurate, age-appropriate information helps people protect their health, build respectful relationships and recognize abuse. Three decades of research find that comprehensive programs are linked to healthier outcomes, while abstinence-only programs are not (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021; Santelli et al., 2017). Most U.S. parents support it in middle and high […]