United States HRES 432: Supporting the goals and ideals of the month of May as Sex Ed For All Month: Equity and Access for All.

Bill Text

IV
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 432
Supporting the goals and ideals of the month of May as Sex Ed For All
Month: Equity and Access for All.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 22, 2023
Ms. JAYAPAL (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. CA ́RDENAS,
Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PRESSLEY,
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. TRONE, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mrs.
WATSON COLEMAN, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of the month of May as
Sex Ed For All Month: Equity and Access for All.
Whereas Sex Ed For All Month is a nationwide observance
that calls on people to take action to invest so as to en-
sure all young people have access to inclusive and honest
sex education;
Whereas young people face vast systemic inequities and
structural barriers to ensuring their lifelong health;
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•HRES 432 IH
Whereas racial disparities persist in young people’s sexual
health, highlighting ongoing social inequities in access to
sex education as well as sexual health services;
Whereas access to quality information and education about
young people’s sexual health is a critical step toward ad-
dressing disparities caused by structural barriers;
Whereas, despite historic declines, the United States has the
highest rate of unintended teen pregnancy among com-
parable countries and limited resources available for
young parents;
Whereas young people aged 15 through 25 contract half of
the 19 million sexually transmitted infections each year,
despite making up only a quarter of the sexually active
population;
Whereas young people under the age of 25 accounted for 1
in 5 new HIV transmissions;
Whereas three-quarters of LGBT students report harass-
ment, 56 percent report feeling unsafe, and nearly a
third skipped at least one day of school in the month
prior to reporting due to concerns for their safety;
Whereas approximately 1 in 3 young women in the United
States experiences physical, emotional, or verbal abuse
from a dating partner;
Whereas sex education that includes information beyond ab-
stinence has been found to delay sexual intercourse, in-
crease condom or contraceptive use, reduce the number
of partners among young people, and decrease physical
aggression with intimate partners;
Whereas young people who received sex education are 50 per-
cent less likely to experience an unintended pregnancy,
31 percent less likely to contract a sexually transmitted
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infection, and more likely to delay sexual activity and use
contraception upon becoming sexually active;
Whereas sex education provides information about the pre-
vention, treatment, and care of pregnancy, sexually trans-
mitted infections, and interpersonal violence; the impor-
tance of consent as a basis for healthy relationships and
for autonomy in health care; sexual orientation, gender
roles, and gender discrimination; and the historical and
current conditions in which education and health sys-
tems, policies, programs, services, and practices have
uniquely adversely impacted Black, indigenous, Latinx,
Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other
people of color;
Whereas sex education promotes gender equity, and is inclu-
sive of young people with varying gender identities, gen-
der expressions, and sexual orientations; safe and healthy
relationships; and racial equity ensuring responsiveness
to the needs of young people who are Black, indigenous,
and other people of color;
Whereas sex education promotes and upholds the rights of
young people to information that empowers them to make
decisions about their bodies, health, sexuality, families,
and communities in all areas of life; and
Whereas May of each year is now recognized as Sex Ed For
All Month: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Sex Ed For 2
All Month; 3
(2) calls on all public and elected officials to ad-4
vocate for and invest in sex education legislation; 5
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(3) encourages State and local governments, in-1
cluding their public health agencies, educational 2
agencies, schools, and media organizations to recog-3
nize and support Sex Ed For All Month; 4
(4) commends the work of comm