Misinformation, stigma, and lack of access to sex education results in the unnecessary death of many LGBTQ+ people across the world. This is an important issue we need to address if we want everyone to be able to achieve their highest level of health. We all deserve access to information on how best to stay safe, include information on harm reduction.

“Sex can be a nerve-racking experience no matter what. That's especially true if you have no clue what to do. And since LGBTQ+ topics are often left out of the conversation in school sex ed classes, many queer people know this feeling well.

There is no national mandate for sex education in the U.S., and even in the states that do provide courses, homosexuality is often disregarded or vilified. According to the organization SIECUS: Sex Ed For Social Change, nine states require educators to portray homosexuality in a negative manner or do not allow them to speak about LGBTQ individuals, while only 11 states require classes to include affirming sexual orientation instruction. That number shrinks to seven when SIECUS accounts for states that mandate affirming instruction about both sexual health and gender identity.

It's a hotly debated topic being taken up by state legislatures now.

Aside from leaving some queer people in a panic searching for "how to have sex" online, there are consequences when students don't receive a proper sex education. For example, lesbian and bisexual youth or those with both male and female partners experience a higher rate of unintended pregnancies when compared to their heterosexual peers.

Some sexuality educators are pushing for comprehensive sex education, which would include topics relevant to queer students, that leave behind abstinence-only and shame-based messages.”

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Source: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/989826953/sex-ed-often-leaves-out-queer-people-heres-what-to-know