Healthy Youth Rhode Island (HYRI) is a grassroots coalition with a diverse membership whose purpose is to promote age-appropriate, medically accurate, inclusive, and comprehensive sexuality education in RI schools through a collaborative and multifaceted approach. To this end, we seek to support member efforts, raise awareness about the need for informative sexuality education, and expand the discussion to encompass more than just teen pregnancy. (Learn more about our mission and history.)
Comprehensive sexuality education includes age appropriate, medically accurate and culturally sensitive information that can be used to teach students to make educated choices about sexuality. It includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Instruction about anatomy, physiology and sexuality;
2. Prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI);
3. Instruction of abstinence as the best method to prevent pregnancy and/or STIs;
4. Discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression;
5. Discussion of healthy relationships, intimate partner violence and negotiation within relationships;
6. Instruction of contraception and safer sex if one chooses to be sexually active.
Want to learn more about the educational standards in the U.S. as well as within Rhode Island specifically? Click here! If policy and legislation are more up your alley, visit that section of our website too. Finally, browse through our varied resources for policymakers, educators, parents, and faith leaders.
Email hmcdonald@sojournerri.org about becoming part of the team.
Healthy Youth RI 