that abstinence-only instruction, also known as ‘‘sex-
ual risk avoidance’’ instruction, is ineffective in com-
parison to sex education. 
(10) Black, Indigenous, and Latine young peo-
ple are disproportionately more likely to be diag-
nosed with an STI, have an unintended pregnancy, 
or experience sexual assault. 
(11) The framework of reproductive justice ac-
knowledges and aims to address the legacy of White 
supremacy, systemic oppression, and the restrictions 
on sex education and sexual health services that dis-
proportionately impact marginalized communities. 
Reproductive justice will be achieved when all people 
regardless of actual or perceived race, color, eth-
nicity, national origin, religion, immigration status, 
sex (including gender identity and sexual orienta-
tion), disability status, pregnancy or parenting sta-
tus, or age have the power to make decisions about 
their bodies, health, sexuality, families, and commu-
nities in all areas of life. 
(12) Increased resources are required for sex 
education and sexual health services to reach all 
young people, redress inequities and their impacts 
on marginalized young people, and achieve reproduc-
tive justice for young people. 
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(13) Such sex education and sexual health serv-
ices should— 
(A) promote and uphold the rights of 
young people to information and services in 
order to make and exercise informed and re-
sponsible decisions about their sexual health; 
(B) be evidence-informed, comprehensive in 
scope, confidential, equitable, accessible, age 
and developmentally appropriate, culturally re-
sponsive, and trauma-informed and resilience- 
oriented; 
(C) include instruction and materials that 
address— 
(i) puberty and adolescent develop-
ment; 
(ii) sexual and reproductive anatomy 
and physiology; 
(iii) sexual orientation, gender iden-
tity, and gender expression; 
(iv) contraception, pregnancy, and re-
production; 
(v) HIV and other STIs; 
(vi) consent and healthy relationships; 
and 
(vii) interpersonal violence; 
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(D) promote gender equity and be inclusive 
of young people with varying gender identities, 
gender expressions, and sexual orientations; 
(E) promote safe and healthy relationships; 
and 
(F) promote racial equity and be respon-
sive to the needs of young people who are 
Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGE
AND
DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPRO-
PRIATE.—The term ‘‘age and developmentally appro-
priate’’ means topics, messages, and teaching meth-
ods suitable to particular ages, age groups, or devel-
opmental levels, based on cognitive, emotional, so-
cial, and behavioral capacity of most young people at 
that age level. 
(2) CHARACTERISTICS
OF
EFFECTIVE
PRO-
GRAMS.—The term ‘‘characteristics of effective pro-
grams’’ means the aspects of evidence-informed pro-
grams, including development, content, and imple-
mentation of such programs, that— 
(A) have been shown to be effective in 
terms of increasing knowledge, clarifying values 
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and attitudes, increasing skills, and impacting 
behavior; and 
(B) are widely recognized by leading med-
ical and public health agencies to be effective in 
changing sexual behaviors that lead to sexually 
transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, 
and interpersonal violence among young people. 
(3) CONSENT.—The term ‘‘consent’’ means af-
firmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to en-
gage in interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity. 
(4) CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE.—The term ‘‘cul-
turally responsive’’ means education and services 
that— 
(A) embrace and actively engage and ad-
just to young people and their various cultural 
identities; 
(B) recognize the ways in which many 
marginalized young people face unique barriers 
in our society that result in increased adverse 
health outcomes and associated stereotypes; and 
(C) may address the ways in which racism 
has shaped national health care policy, the last-
ing historical trauma associated with reproduc-
tive health experiments and forced sterilizations 
of Black, Latine, and Indigenous communities, 
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or sexual stereotypes assigned to young People 
of Color or LGBTQ+ people. 
(5) EVIDENCE-INFORMED.—The term ‘‘evi-
dence-informed’’ means incorporates characteristics, 
content, or skills that have been proven to be effec-
tive through evaluation in changing sexual behavior. 
(6) GENDER EXPRESSION.—The term ‘‘gender 
expression’’ means the expression of one’s gender, 
such as through behavior, clothing, haircut, or voice, 
and which may or may not conform to socially de-
fined behaviors and characteristics typically associ-
ated with being either masculine or feminine. 
(7) GENDER
IDENTITY.—The term ‘‘gender 
identity’’ means the gender-related identity, appear-
ance, mannerisms, or other gender-related character-
istics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s 
designated sex at birth. 
(8) INCLUSIVE.—The term ‘‘inclusive’’ means 
content and skills that ensure marginalized young 
people are valued, respected, centered, and sup-
ported in sex education instruction and materials. 
(9) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
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