Lack of Sex Education Leaves Ohio Teens Facing Higher Birth and STI Rates
Ohio remains one of the few states in the U.S. without comprehensive sex education in its schools, and the consequences are showing. The state’s teen birth rate, at 14.6 per 1,000 females aged 15–19, exceeds the national average of 13.1, according to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The same year, 61% of Ohio’s chlamydia cases involved people between the ages of 15 and 24, and the state’s syphilis rate (16.3 per 100,000) also surpassed the national average.
Experts say the connection is clear: inadequate sex education leaves young people uninformed and unprotected. “States that have no sex ed or poor sex ed policies typically fare worse on health indicators such as STI rates, teen birth rates, and contraceptive knowledge,” said Nawal Umar, senior policy analyst for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS).
Ohio law emphasizes abstinence and requires that schools teach about sexually transmitted infections and “the potential side effects” of sex outside marriage.
But there is no uniform, statewide standard for health education, leaving individual districts to decide what, and how much, to teach. This patchwork approach means students’ access to accurate, age-appropriate information depends entirely on where they live.
Several districts have even been cited for noncompliance with Ohio’s requirements, often emphasizing inclusivity over the restrictive moral tone of state law. “Sex education should never be used to shame students for their family background,” Ridgewood Local School District said after being cited in a 2023–24 audit.
Advocates like Kellie Copeland, executive director of Abortion Forward, argue that refusing to implement comprehensive sex education fails young Ohioans.
“It’s maddening that the State of Ohio has refused to implement this after decades of experts, educators, even religious communities, asking for this curriculum,” she said. “Some students don’t have families who can provide them with this information.”
Comprehensive sex education is not about promoting sexual activity; it’s about empowering youth with knowledge about their health, relationships, and consent. As Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s Jenna Wojdacz explains, “Access to accurate sexual health information should not be political. It’s what our young Ohio students need.”
The evidence supports her: decades of research show that comprehensive sex education reduces teen pregnancy and STI rates, increases contraceptive use, and delays sexual initiation. In contrast, abstinence-only programs, still Ohio’s default policy, are ineffective and often stigmatizing.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every young person has the right to access health information and education that helps them make informed decisions about their bodies and their lives. Denying comprehensive sex education denies that right.
