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 sex education is important (Kantor & Levitz, 2017).
Statistics get repeated online without sources all the time. This page is different: every figure below links to its original source, and we note when data is provisional. Use it for a paper, a presentation, a school board meeting or just to understand the landscape. We’ll update it when new national data is released.
Last updated: October 2026.
Sex education laws by state
State law decides what most students learn. According to Guttmacher’s state policy tracker (Guttmacher):
| Policy | Number of states |
|---|---|
| Require sex education, HIV education or both | 41 + D.C. |
| Require that content be medically accurate | 26 |
| Require content to cover or stress abstinence | 43 + D.C. |
| Require inclusive instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity | 8 + D.C. |
| Have policies restricting discussion of LGBTQ+ identities (“Don’t Say Gay” laws) | 10 |
A separate 2025 legal analysis in the American Journal of Public Health coded every state’s laws and regulations. It found that 42 states mandate sex education in at least one content area, but only 19 require medically accurate content for any topic. It also found that 34 states let parents opt their child out, and 5 require parents to opt in (Nelson et al., AJPH 2025).
What these numbers mean
Requirements are not the same as quality. A state can require “sex education” and still not require it to be accurate, inclusive or skills-based. That is why two students in neighboring states can get very different instruction.
How many young people actually receive sex education?
A 2024 review in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing noted that only about half of U.S. adolescents surveyed in 2017–2019 reported receiving formal sex education, citing federal Healthy People data (Hawkins, JOGNN 2024). Among LGBTQ+ students, inclusive instruction is rare: in GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey, only 7.4% reported receiving sex education that positively included both LGB and transgender and nonbinary topics (GLSEN, 2021).
STI statistics (2024 data, released 2025)
The CDC’s provisional 2024 surveillance data show progress, and also how far there is to go (CDC STI Surveillance 2024; CDC press release):
- More than 2.2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in 2024.
- That is 9% lower than 2023, the third straight year of decline.
- But totals remain 13% higher than a decade ago.
- Chlamydia fell 8%, gonorrhea 10%, and primary and secondary syphilis 22%.
- Congenital syphilis (passed from a pregnant person to a baby) rose for the 12th consecutive year, to about 4,000 cases, nearly 700% higher than in 2015.
The CDC credits part of the decline to wider testing options, including self-tests. Final 2024 figures are expected in 2026. For testing basics, see our guide STI testing: what it is.
HIV statistics
- About 31,800 new HIV infections were estimated in the U.S. in 2022, down 12% from 2018 (CDC HIV data).
- 37,981 people received an HIV diagnosis in 2022 (CDC).
- About 1.2 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV at the end of 2022, and about 13% of them (about 1 in 8) did not know it (CDC HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report).
- The South accounted for 49% of new infections (CDC).
- Worldwide, 40.8 million people were living with HIV in 2024, with 1.3 million new infections. Women and girls made up 53% of people living with HIV (UNAIDS 2025 fact sheet).
Youth health behavior statistics (CDC YRBS 2023)
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey is the main national source on high school students’ health. The 2013–2023 trend report shows (CDC YRBS; CDC overview):
- The share of high school students who had ever had sexual intercourse fell from 47% in 2013 to 32% in 2023.
- Among students who were currently sexually active, condom use fell from 59% to 52% over the same decade.
- Only 7% had ever been tested for HIV, and 6% had been tested for STIs in the past year.
- 11% reported experiencing sexual violence in the past year, with higher rates among female and LGBTQ+ students.
- 10.4% of students reported physical dating violence and 5.9% sexual dating violence in the past year (OJJDP data snapshot).
There is encouraging news too: a CDC analysis found that 79.8% of high school students who had sexual contact asked for consent verbally (CDC MMWR, 2024). Consent education works best when it starts early. Read our guide to consent as an ongoing conversation.
Turn these numbers into lessons
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What the research says about effectiveness
- A review of three decades of studies found comprehensive sex education supports healthy relationships, dating violence prevention, child sexual abuse prevention and media literacy (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021).
- Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs were not effective at delaying initiation or reducing risk behaviors (Santelli et al., 2017).
- WHO reports that comprehensive sexuality education does not increase sexual activity or risk-taking (WHO).
- States where more schools taught LGBTQ-inclusive sex education had lower odds of suicidal thoughts and planning among all high school students (Proulx et al., 2019).
Parent support statistics
In a nationally representative survey of 1,633 U.S. parents (Kantor & Levitz, 2017):
- 93.5% said sex education in middle school is important.
- 96% said sex education in high school is important.
- Support was high among Democrats, Republicans and independents.
How to use these statistics responsibly
- Link to the source. Every number here has one.
- Note the year. Surveillance data lags by a year or two; 2024 STI data is provisional.
- Keep context. A decline in STI cases is good news, but it doesn’t mean the problem is solved.
- Avoid shaming. Numbers are about systems and access, not individual blame.
Want the bigger picture? Read Why Sex Education Matters or explore our programs.
Frequently asked questions
How many states require sex education?
According to Guttmacher, 41 states and Washington, D.C. require sex education, HIV education or both. A 2025 AJPH analysis counted 42 states that mandate sex education in at least one content area.
How many states require sex education to be medically accurate?
Guttmacher reports that 26 states require medically accurate content. The 2025 AJPH analysis found 19 states mandate medically accurate content for any topic, reflecting stricter coding.
Are STI rates going up or down?
Reported STI cases fell 9% from 2023 to 2024, the third straight annual decline, but remained 13% higher than a decade earlier. Congenital syphilis continued to rise for the 12th year.
How many people in the U.S. have HIV?
CDC estimates about 1.2 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022, with roughly 31,800 new infections that year.
Do parents support sex education?
Yes. More than 9 in 10 parents in a nationally representative survey said sex education is important in both middle and high school.
Where do these statistics come from?
The CDC, Guttmacher Institute, UNAIDS, WHO, GLSEN and peer-reviewed journals. Each figure on this page links directly to its source.
Sources
- Guttmacher Institute. Sex and HIV Education. https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/sex-and-hiv-education
- Nelson, Gray, Haiken, Underhill, et al. The State of Sexual Education: State Laws and Regulations Mandating Sexual Education in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2025. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308199
- Hawkins. Expansion of Comprehensive Sexuality Education. JOGNN. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2023.11.011
- GLSEN. The 2021 National School Climate Survey. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED625378.pdf
- CDC. Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2024 (Provisional). https://www.cdc.gov/sti-statistics/annual/index.html
- CDC. HIV Data and Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/data-research/facts-stats/index.html ; CDC HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report (2022 estimates). https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/156513
- UNAIDS. Global HIV & AIDS statistics fact sheet, 2025. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2025/UNAIDS_FactSheet
- CDC. YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report, 2013–2023. https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf
- OJJDP. Dating violence reported by high school students, 2023. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/data-snapshot-dating-violence-reported-by-high-school-students-2023.pdf
- CDC MMWR Supplement 2024;73(4). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/su/su7304a7.htm
- Goldfarb & Lieberman, J Adolesc Health 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.036
- Santelli et al., J Adolesc Health 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.05.031
- WHO. Comprehensive sexuality education. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/comprehensive-sexuality-education
- Proulx et al., J Adolesc Health 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.11.012
- Kantor & Levitz, PLOS ONE 2017. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180250