The need for sex education became advocated for after series of syphilis and other STD epidemics hit the population. Beforehand, public knowledge of this information was reined in due to society propagating purity and sex after marriage. In 1892, the National Education Association deemed the curriculum as necessary to impart upon students and in 1899, it was suggested to be taught before puberty by the PTA.
Throughout the 1900s, strides were taken upon to disseminate readily available sex education materials in schools and other facilities. It was met with wide public support in the 1960s and in 1975, the World Health Organization described sex ed as a right that would positively enhance and enrich aspects of life. However, a rift began as a sex education curriculum was juxtaposed against an abstinence curriculum. The latter was advocated for upon by individuals who believed knowledge of birth control and prevention of diseases would lead to an increase of young people partaking in risky behavior.
Public support against an abstinence curriculum rooted itself as the AIDS epidemic and high percentages of teenage pregnancy became prevalent. As a result, by 1989, 23 states passed mandates for sex education, 23 states strongly encouraged sex education, 33 states mandated AIDS education, and 17 states recommended AIDS education. Though the majority of the population supported these measures, the dissenters persevered and established abstinence until marriage programs in their states. In 1996, these programs were allotted 250 million dollars by Congress as part of the welfare reform act and in 2003, funding was increased by 15 million dollars. In 2008, twenty five states rejected funding for abstinence programs.
Although opposition against sex education remains, recent polls show that 93 percent of Americans support the sex ed curriculum and 84 percent support it being taught in middle school.