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The Fight for Sex Ed: The Century-Long Battle Between Truth and Doctrine
The first comprehensive trade history of sex ed in American schools—and an impassioned call to reform sex ed into a powerful tool for reproductive justice and social equality
The U.S. has some of the highest rates of STIs and teen pregnancies in the industrialized world. A comprehensive sex education curriculum—which teaches facts on contraception, prophylactics, consent, and STIs—has been available since the 90s. Yet the majority of states require that sex education stress abstinence, and 22 states do not require sex ed in public schools at all.
In The Fight for Sex Ed, writer, advocate, and historian Margaret Myers shows us how we got here. While the earliest calls for sex ed came from a coalition of religious leaders and doctors at the turn of the century who sought to control the prevalence of STIs, the advent of antibiotics and modern condoms meant that abstinence was no longer good public health policy. The religious right, however, continued to frame it as such, using its impressive machinery to replace scientific facts with conservative Christian values.
Because sex ed is not mandated at the federal level, these battles have played out locally throughout the through rigged school boards, administrative oustings, court cases, unjust firings, scare tactics, and threats. Myers also shows how the religious right has worked to narrow the discourse around sex ed, often dictating the terms of debate almost entirely.
What we teach young people has serious ramifications for reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and public health. Sex education lies at the intersection of these hugely important cultural forces, yet it has been largely invisible. This book illuminates its potential—and its power.
The U.S. has some of the highest rates of STIs and teen pregnancies in the industrialized world. A comprehensive sex education curriculum—which teaches facts on contraception, prophylactics, consent, and STIs—has been available since the 90s. Yet the majority of states require that sex education stress abstinence, and 22 states do not require sex ed in public schools at all.
In The Fight for Sex Ed, writer, advocate, and historian Margaret Myers shows us how we got here. While the earliest calls for sex ed came from a coalition of religious leaders and doctors at the turn of the century who sought to control the prevalence of STIs, the advent of antibiotics and modern condoms meant that abstinence was no longer good public health policy. The religious right, however, continued to frame it as such, using its impressive machinery to replace scientific facts with conservative Christian values.
Because sex ed is not mandated at the federal level, these battles have played out locally throughout the through rigged school boards, administrative oustings, court cases, unjust firings, scare tactics, and threats. Myers also shows how the religious right has worked to narrow the discourse around sex ed, often dictating the terms of debate almost entirely.
What we teach young people has serious ramifications for reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and public health. Sex education lies at the intersection of these hugely important cultural forces, yet it has been largely invisible. This book illuminates its potential—and its power.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
11 people are currently reading
3829 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 23, 2025
I listened to the audiobook and will need to reread the ebook so I can do a fuckton of highlighting.
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Comprehensive Sex Education: it “demonstrated success in reducing rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, STIs, and adolescent pregnancy and delaying sexual activity.” And in addition to those specific health and sex-related outcomes, CSE has also “been shown to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.” CSE is also associated with other beneficial outcomes like reduced rates of homophobia, an increased recognition of gender equality, decreased rates of domestic and intimate partner violence, prevention of childhood sexual abuse, and media literacy.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Comprehensive Sex Education: it “demonstrated success in reducing rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, STIs, and adolescent pregnancy and delaying sexual activity.” And in addition to those specific health and sex-related outcomes, CSE has also “been shown to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.” CSE is also associated with other beneficial outcomes like reduced rates of homophobia, an increased recognition of gender equality, decreased rates of domestic and intimate partner violence, prevention of childhood sexual abuse, and media literacy.”
May 30, 2025
This comprehensive nonfiction work chronicles over a century of history on the topic of sex education in U.S. schools. Historian Margaret Grace Myers primarily uses historical newspaper articles to track the changing perceptions and legal arguments regarding the inclusion of sex-ed curricula in schools. While this is a piece of scholarly work it is still accessible for readers with limited prior knowledge on the subject. It focuses heavily on the conflicts between science-based education and moral education. Myers does present arguments from both sides as impartially as possible, but she does not hesitate to point out when those arguments are fallacious or entirely based on lies. She also highlights how people have been arguing over the same topic in the same manner for decades without resolution. Children are the ones most hurt in this conflict, as it is their education on the line. The Fight for Sex Ed is a relevant read for anyone concerned with the religious right’s campaigns against science and for everyone who is fighting to ensure that our youth has access to evidence-based public health information.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Beacon Press for providing me with an ARC!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Beacon Press for providing me with an ARC!
August 11, 2025
Well, this was both fascinating and infuriating and I want everyone to read it but I also wanna throw it across the room repeatedly.
January 28, 2026
This sacrifices depth for (sort of) breadth, and read like a timeline or surface-level summary rather than as a nuanced story with context and analysis (until, a bit, the afterword). This book is not super long, but felt so long (I think because of the breadth over depth thing) and, I think, didn't add to my understanding of local and national efforts for comprehensive sex ed. Overall, this was a reminder that data/research simply does not sway many people, complexity of trying to study sex ed, experimental nature of local government/state differences, that early pushes for sex ed and the main forces that continue to shape it are not medical providers (both good and bad), and that the Christian right has disproportionately shaped sex ed.
As one example of the timeline feel, I was excited to start to hear about the creation of a comprehensive sex ed program I've taught (Our Whole Lives), but this story wasn't seen through or ever returned to, and not informed by how the debates/creation process rolled out, analysis of the cultural forces that shaped this (at the time) radical curriculum, or any memorable storytelling about it.
Also, in the few sentences that acknowledge the eugenics influence on American sex ed, the author was
.. sort of an apologist about it? Oooooh nooooo. I was not surprised, then, that this book didn't address health or access disparities throughout, and was largely focused on public-facing white leaders. Even the cover is a picture of (who look to be) white women marching with signs for sex ed. I guess sometimes you can judge a book by it's cover? Funny, not funny joke. Forgive me.
Listened on audiobook: clear narration that I sped up a lot.
As one example of the timeline feel, I was excited to start to hear about the creation of a comprehensive sex ed program I've taught (Our Whole Lives), but this story wasn't seen through or ever returned to, and not informed by how the debates/creation process rolled out, analysis of the cultural forces that shaped this (at the time) radical curriculum, or any memorable storytelling about it.
Also, in the few sentences that acknowledge the eugenics influence on American sex ed, the author was
.. sort of an apologist about it? Oooooh nooooo. I was not surprised, then, that this book didn't address health or access disparities throughout, and was largely focused on public-facing white leaders. Even the cover is a picture of (who look to be) white women marching with signs for sex ed. I guess sometimes you can judge a book by it's cover? Funny, not funny joke. Forgive me.
Listened on audiobook: clear narration that I sped up a lot.
Want to read
August 16, 2025Recommended by John Hodgman
January 5, 2026
Very informative book!
It “is about our fundamental rights and deeply interwoven with issues of reproductive justice, healthcare, self-esteem, the nature of education, public schools, and social equity.”
It “is about our fundamental rights and deeply interwoven with issues of reproductive justice, healthcare, self-esteem, the nature of education, public schools, and social equity.”
August 28, 2025
A must read for anyone remotely concerned with societies understanding of Sex Ed AKA everyone ever
Have you ever wished you had all the information necessary to talk coherently about sex ed and American politics? Have you ever felt like you didn’t know enough to dispute the confusing rhetoric that swirls around reproductive rights and contraception laws and sex in classrooms and churches and homes? Then this is an absolutely necessary book for you. Myers focuses the lens on the history of Sex Ed by following the active players and the impact they had on American politics and the subsequent societal understanding of Sex Ed.
Have you ever wished you had all the information necessary to talk coherently about sex ed and American politics? Have you ever felt like you didn’t know enough to dispute the confusing rhetoric that swirls around reproductive rights and contraception laws and sex in classrooms and churches and homes? Then this is an absolutely necessary book for you. Myers focuses the lens on the history of Sex Ed by following the active players and the impact they had on American politics and the subsequent societal understanding of Sex Ed.
August 12, 2025
Margaret Grace Myers delivers a well-researched and eye-opening history of the century-long struggle over sex education in America. She traces how science, politics, religion, and cultural values have collided in classrooms, showing both progress and persistent resistance.
What works best is her balanced approach—she presents the facts with clarity while making a strong case for inclusive, evidence-based education. The depth of sources and historical context is impressive, though the chronological format can feel dense at times.
Overall, it’s a thoughtful, important read that explains not just how sex ed has evolved, but why it remains such a charged and essential issue today.
What works best is her balanced approach—she presents the facts with clarity while making a strong case for inclusive, evidence-based education. The depth of sources and historical context is impressive, though the chronological format can feel dense at times.
Overall, it’s a thoughtful, important read that explains not just how sex ed has evolved, but why it remains such a charged and essential issue today.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews