Where Do We Go From Here?: The History and Future of Sex Education in the United States

Despite well-documented positive health benefits for adolescents, sex education in the United States has long been an intensely debated and often divisive topic. Over the past century, it has been shaped by legal challenges, shifting cultural norms, and ongoing disagreements in both educational and religious spaces about what, how, and whether it should be taught in schools.

Where Do We Go From Here? The History and Future of Sex Education in the United States explores this complex history through a wide range of materials spanning from the early 20th century to the present. The exhibition brings together school curricula, legal documents addressing the implementation of sex education in public schools, as well as advice books aimed at both parents and adolescents. These materials reveal how public understanding of sex education has evolved over time and how deeply it has been influenced by changing social attitudes, policy decisions, and cultural expectations.

By presenting these items side by side, the exhibition invites visitors to consider not only how sex education has changed, but also the persistent gaps that remain. It encourages reflection on questions of access, inclusion, identity, and ability, and asks us to think critically about what equitable and comprehensive sex education could look like in the future.

Where Do We Go From Here? will be on view from August 25 through December 18, 2026, in the Morris Library Information Room at the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours.