Should teens be learning about fertility in sex-ed? Some experts say yes.

USA Today

06-03-2025

Should teens be learning about fertility in sex-ed? Some experts say yes.
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Sex education classes predominately teach high schoolers how to avoid pregnancy.
But a growing movement of women's health experts say students should also learn about the time of the month when pregnancy is most likely and the different phases of the menstrual cycle by including the topic of fertility in the curriculum.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia require sex education in schools, but no law or state standard mandates teaching about fertility, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a nonprofit that promotes sexual health and education.
As research shows age is the most predictive factor for infertility and more Americans are having babies later in life, some argue teaching students about fertility will better prepare them for when they decide to start their families. Learning about fertility from a young age, they say, could also help with early detection for disorders like endometriosis, which can cause infertility but tends to go undetected for years.
'It's really setting the stage for understanding the body and understanding how you set yourself up for the kind of circumstances you want from a really young age,' said Robin Jensen, professor of communication at the University of Utah, who specializes in health, science, sex and gender.
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Endometriosis occurs when cells from the uterus lining grow in other parts of the body, according to Mount Sinai. It impacts about 10% of women and likely starts when a woman begins her period. However, it's typically not diagnosed until ages 25 to 35.
Some of the symptoms of endometriosis can include pain during periods, and heavy bleeding during or between periods. If young women better understand each menstrual cycle stage, they may be less likely to dismiss these symptoms or ignore them, public health experts say.
And receiving a diagnosis early could help prepare students for family planning in the future, said Emily Oster, professor of economics at Brown University and author of 'Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong – and What You Really Need to Know.'
'We know that endometriosis is often not diagnosed for a decade after it has happened because people don't know what they're looking for,' said Oster, who is also the CEO of ParentData, a data-driven guide for families. 'I want kids to know things.'
California and Washington, D.C. have explicit laws requiring educators to teach about menstrual health, but they only cover stigmas, irregularities, hygiene and pain management, menopause and other topics related to the menstrual cycle for students in 7th to 12th grade.
Public health experts say the curriculum should be expanded to include all parts of the menstrual cycle, including ovulation signs and the luteal phase, which is when conception typically occurs and can last 12 to 14 days.
But while it's not explicitly included in the curriculum, research shows that fertility still gets brought up in class.
A 2024 study compared sex education curricula between schools in Utah, where laws mandate an abstinence-based approach, and schools in Colorado, where laws mandate a more comprehensive plan that does not promote abstinence.
In schools with an abstinence-based curriculum, researchers found the topic of fertility was typically raised when discussing sexually transmitted diseases and substance use, specifically how they can cause fertility issues.
Colorado schools also brought up fertility in these contexts and raised it when talking about reproductive technology, such as in-vitro fertilization or IVF.
'In abstinence-based states, which tend to be red states, you're seeing less information about what fertility is and how to plan out sexual activity in light of your fertility goals,' said Jensen, who is the lead author of the study.
Those who argue against teaching fertility in high school worry that it could indirectly encourage students to have sex or misunderstand their likelihood of getting pregnant, she said.
There's also concern that teenagers are less likely to retain the information because most of the material isn't relevant to them yet. But Oster said that same argument could apply to other subject matters taught in school.
Jensen says a comprehensive plan about fertility should include the reproductive lifespan for both men and women, when fertility is at its peak and when it starts to decline. It should also discuss when people are typically having their first child, Jensen said, 'to situate their own choices in what's possible' and options for people who have fertility issues.
"It's not always something you can choose but if you have scientific information about what it is and how it plays out, you're more likely to meet the goals you have," she said.
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at [e-mail].