Abortion has stood at the forefront of the national conversation in the fight for reproductive justice. In the years following the Dobbs decision, conservatives have sought to influence other aspects of reproductive and sexual wellness at both the Supreme Court and state levels.

A new report by Guttmacher and State Innovation Exchange (SiX) reveals a trend of legislation targeting reproductive care — with legislators attempting to restrict everything from contraception to in vitro fertilization and even sex education — in the first half of 2024. This year alone, over 50 bills have been introduced in 28 states attempting to block students’ access to comprehensive sex education. Experts say that comprehensive sex ed, which the World Health Organization defines as giving young people accurate, age-appropriate information about sexuality and reproductive health, is crucial to the health and safety of students.

“Young people are really, unfortunately, stuck a lot where they don’t have access to good information and also don’t have resources, including what they learn in school and they don’t always have the ability to go to alternative information,” sais Rosann Mariappuram, senior counsel of Reproductive Rights at SiX and co-author of the report.

“I think it’s more important than ever that sex education is a core part of young people’s development and once they have that information, they can make the decision that’s best for them.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, receiving comprehensive sex ed is linked to delayed sexual activity, increased condom and contraceptive use and reduced STI and teen pregnancy rates. However, sex education is not legally required to be taught in every state but when it is taught the curriculum may look extremely different depending where you live.

Researchers found that only 20 states require teachings to be medically accurate. Planned Parenthood Action Fund reports that only 18 states require information about birth control and 37 states have laws requiring abstinence be included in curriculum.

“One of the complexities of sex ed is that it’s usually regulated by state boards of education and then legislatures also have the additional capacity to legislate,” said Mariappuram.

Anti-abortion groups have historically focused on influencing school teachings on sex ed and continue to do so today. In March, Reckon reported on states attempting to pass laws to implement a controversial anti-abortion video into schools. The video,” Meet Baby Olivia”, was produced by the anti-abortion non-profit Live Action, which says it “exists today to shift public opinion on the killing of preborn children.” Experts say the video contains medical inaccuracies, including the usage of misleading language, exaggerating the fetus’ capabilities and claiming the heart starts beating earlier than it actually does.

In April, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the Baby Olivia Act, a bill that will require students to watch a three minute video on fetal development. Starting next school year, students in 78 out of the state’s 95 counties will be required to watch either the Baby Olivia video or one similar.

“The video itself was produced by an anti-abortion extremist group, so it’s just kind of terrifying that a legislature is requiring content that’s not medically accurate, and it’s so biased, and it really shows the thread of how early they’re trying to get anti-abortion messaging into our communities,” Mariappuram said.

In a post-Roe country, accurate sex education is critical especially for young people living in the 14 states with total abortion bans where access to reproductive care is limited. But experts say that the need is there even in states where abortion is legal.

“Because sex education is often under local control, even in states with more progressive policies, instruction can fall short, especially on highly politicized topics like abortion. It is imperative to dispel the misinformation young people are exposed to about the dangers of abortion. Contrary to what many students are taught, someone is far more likely to die from giving birth than from a legal abortion,” Drs. Eva Goldfarb and Lisa Lieberman, professors of public health at Montclair State University and authors of “Three Decades of Research: The Case for Comprehensive Sex Education.” wrote in a 2022 New York Times op-ed.

The lack of comprehensive sex ed has harmful consequences following students into their teen years and beyond — which Tennessean youth face in addition to a near-total abortion ban. CDC data ranks Tennessee 44th out of all 50 states in teen pregnancy rates at 21.5 per thousand, which is much higher than the national average of 13.5 per thousand. Tennessee girls also face the highest rates of intimate partner violence. As the Tennessean reported in January, one in six female high schoolers reported dating violence in 2019.

According to the Guttmacher report, legislators in Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia have introduced similar sex education bills.