As we head into another tumultuous year of politically driven divisions in schools across the country, an essential new book, The Fight For Sex Ed: The Century-Long Battle Between Truth and Doctrine by Margaret Grace Myers, will show how we got here, what’s changed, and what remains dangerously unchanged over the last 100+ years.
In The Fight for Sex Ed, Myers delivers the first comprehensive trade history of sex education in American schools. A deeply researched chronicle of how various forces have exerted their influence over public health policy for the sake of abstinence-only education, the book unpacks the century-long struggle to control what young people are taught about their bodies, consent, and sexuality—and why it matters now more than ever.
Spanning early 20th-century moral crusades to modern-day political showdowns, the book traces efforts to shape public policy, from school boards to the supreme court. Myers shows that sex education isn’t just about health—it’s also about reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equity. The Fight for Sex Ed is both a vital historical resource and an urgent call to action for reclaiming sex education as a transformative tool for justice and equality.
Why the History of Sex Ed Is Relevant Today
As the current presidential administration continues to chip away at reproductive rights, this book positions education as our first, and most essential, line of defense.
With attacks on access to contraception, pre and post-natal care, and reproductive health growing in a post-Roe America, Myers reveals how a century of misinformation laid the groundwork for today’s reproductive rights crisis.
From book bans to abstinence-only education, conservative forces have been playing the long game for control over public education.
This book offers fresh insight into the foundation of today’s parental rights movement and can be seamlessly tied into current conversations over censorship and curriculum restrictions.
Topics and Takeaways
A must-read for teachers, parents, and activists fighting for truth in the classroom
The book gives the background needed to build a toolkit for advocacy, arming readers with facts and historical context to challenge school boards and policymakers in their own communities.
Public health crisis or political opportunity?
Current data shows surges in STIs and lack of sexual health literacy among young people—The Fight for Sex Ed explains how political choices created this reality. At a time when public health is being so heavily politicized, this is an essential but under-discussed part of the conversation over access to education and medical treatments.
America still has teen pregnancy and STI rates rivalling those in emerging economies
This book offers a historical explainer for why decades of conservative messaging have kept effective sex ed out of classrooms and what the real-world impact has been.
The missing link in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in schools
The Fight for Sex Ed is a helpful tool for pushing back at the current backlash against trans-inclusive education. Myers shows how erasing sex ed has always been a strategy to erase queer identity.
Sex ed as a civil rights issue
Myers reframes sex education as a matter of reproductive justice, especially for marginalized and LGBTQ+ youth—timely amid national debates over equity and inclusion in education.
Early Praise for The Fight for Sex Ed
“Journalist Myers debuts with a comprehensive and propulsive overview of the history of sex education…the result is not just an admiring look at generations of dedicated advocacy but a strong call for changes to how the truth is reported in America.” —Publishers Weekly
“A comprehensive yet accessible volume that is invaluable for contextualizing the history of sex education in the United States.” —Library Journal
“This meticulously researched book, written with passion and wit, illuminates a history that is more vital than ever before.” —Emma Straub, author of This Time Tomorrow
“Margaret Myers uses careful research and crystal-clear prose to trace the endless loop of politics and denial that sex education in the United States has been stuck in for generations.” —Chelsea Conaboy, author of Mother Brain: How Neuroscience Is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood
“An essential read for those who care about truth, justice, and the well-being of our youth.” —Laura Pappano, author of School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education
About the Author
Margaret Grace Myers is a writer, a researcher, an educator, and a former bookseller based in Maine. Her writing has appeared in The Cut, Lady Science, and the Gotham Gazette, among other publications. She holds a BA from Skidmore College, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College.
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