Ohio is one of the few remaining states not to have a comprehensive sex education plan for its schools. A report by the Ohio Capital Journal presents the possibility that there may be a connection between that and some disturbing statistics.

For example, the national birth rate for those between 15 and 19 years old is 13.1 per 1,000 females. In the Buckeye State, that rate is 14.6 per 1,000, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

In 2023, 61% of the chlamydia cases in Ohio were people between the ages of 15 and 24. The syphilis rate here is 16.3 per 100,000, compared with the national average of 15.8.

“What we’ve seen is states that have no sex ed or poor sex ed policies, they typically fare worse on health indicators such as (sexually transmitted infections) rates, teen birth rates, having lower contraceptive knowledge, and other existing health disparities,” Nawal Umar, senior policy analyst for Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, told the Capital Journal. “These states are also putting their young people at higher risk for sexual violence victimization and having poor mental health outcomes because sex education provides really critical instruction, consent and communication and healthy relationships and so much more.”

But according to Ohio Revised Code, the public school curriculum here focuses on abstinence and requires only some instruction about sexually transmitted infections. Schools are required to “emphasize adoption as an option to unintended pregnancies” and “teach the potential physical, psychological, emotional, and social side effects” of sex outside of marriage.

It’s not difficult to spot the problems and gaps there.

“We do not teach children that if they were born out of wedlock there are harmful consequences for society,” Washington Local Schools in Lucas County wrote in its explanation regarding its decision not to comply with the standards. “All children have opportunities and are valued by our school district.”

Only Jefferson Township Local School District in Montgomery County and Ridgewood Local School District in Coshocton County were also found non-compliant in 2023-24.

So everyone else is meeting the state standard … and we’re still failing our kids. Medically accurate, age-appropriate information that teaches young people about sexual health, healthy relationships and consent is important. Research shows it leads to lower rates of teen pregnancy, reduced STI rates, delayed sexual activity and increased contraceptive usage. As for “abstinence-only” as a general policy, “It’s ineffective,” according to Umar.

Lawmakers who time and again tell us how much they care about Ohio’s young people when it leads to cheap political points have an opportunity to demonstrate they really do care, by taking another look at the state code and the need for a comprehensive sex education policy.

Otherwise, they’re letting us know they are comfortable with the consequences our young people are experiencing because we have failed them.