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Missouri requires that sex education, if taught, be delivered through abstinence-only programs, even though over half of its high school students report already having had sex. Learn more about failed abstinence-only programs in Missouri.
Sex Education Policy
Missouri does not require sex education for its students, but if taught, by law the programs must closely track with the 8-point federal definition of abstinence-only education. See the statute governing sex education
Health Outcomes
Missouri's teen pregnancy rate and AIDS rate are lower than average, but the state has higher than average rates of STIs and lower than average rates of condom use among sexually active high school students.
Sexual Health Stats at a Glance
|
Teen Pregnancy Rate* |
Teen Birth Rate* |
Annual rate of AIDS Diagnoses (per 100,000 people) |
STI Rate+ |
% of high school students who did not use a condom at last sex |
| Missouri |
63 |
41.6 |
9.8 |
119.6 |
40 |
| National |
70 |
39.1 |
11.2 |
100.8 |
39 |
*Per 1000 young women ages 15-19
+Because of concern over recent changes in Chlamydia reporting and relative low incidence of syphilis, we used the state's gonorrhea rate as a stand-in for sexually transmitted infection rates.
Advocates' Partner Organizations
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