RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

Bridgercare believes that every youth has the right to honest and empowering sexual health and relationships education to help them to make informed choices about their future.

What’s Going On

With Sex Ed in Montana?

In July 2021, Senate Bill 99 (SB 99) was passed as a way to control 2 things: 

  1. Who could teach sexual education: Abortion providers or affiliates of abortion providers are prohibited from teaching in Montana public schools. 

  2. What kinds of education require parental notification: Quote directly from SB 99:

    “…human sexuality instruction” means teaching or otherwise providing information about human sexuality, including intimate relationships, human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, sexual acts, sexual orientation, gender identity, abstinence, contraception, or reproductive rights and responsibilities.”

    This broad description of human sexuality deeply restricts many teachers' ability to teach topics such as English literature and biology as well as their ability to acknowledge topics such as LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights in their classrooms.  

While Bridgercare is neither an abortion provider, nor are we affiliated with abortion providers, these stipulations in SB 99 have impacted Bridgercare’s (and other sexual education organizations across Montana) ability to teach medically accurate, age-appropriate sexual education in schools.  Want to learn more about the landscape of Sex Ed in Montana? Check out our blog!

Why is Sexual Education Important for Montana Youth?  

Adolescents in Montana report significantly higher rates of sexual activity, including high-risk activity*, than other US adolescents.  A 2023 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 42% of MT high school students reported having had sexual intercourse, as compared to the national average of 30%, and 15% report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse, compared to 8% nationwide. Only 52% of MT students report using a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse, and 42% report using some other form of hormonal birth control. These statistics, combined with the fact that, in 2021, 15–24-year-olds were the most likely age group to contract Chlamydia in Gallatin County, demonstrate the need for comprehensive and ongoing sexual education in schools.

*High risk sexual behaviors include having sex without a barrier method and having sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Find the Right Program

  • This curriculum has lessons for each grade 6th-8th that build on each other and are focused on delaying sex and increasing protection method use. The following four premises are built into the curriculum:

    • Sexual health is an integral part of health education.

    • Parents and other caring adults are students’ primary sexuality educators.

    • Relationship skills are a key element of a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum.

    • While abstinence from sex is the healthiest choice for avoiding sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy, adolescents require a comprehensive understanding of sexual health, sexuality and protection methods, which they will need when they become sexually active.

  • PHAT seeks to reduce HIV/STD infection and pregnancy risk behaviors among adolescents by teaching participants correct information about puberty, HIV/STDs, and abstinence-only strategies. Participants are taught that abstinence is a positive choice and is the best strategy to avoid pregnancy and HIV/STDs. The program aims to help participants build negotiation, refusal, and problem-solving skills for practicing abstinence

Middle School

Middle & High School

  • The primary goals of Making Proud Choices! are to increase knowledge about prevention of HIV, STDs and pregnancy, reinforce positive attitudes/beliefs about condom use, and increase confidence in participants' ability to negotiate safer sex and use condoms correctly. The program works to lower the incidence of STD/HIV risk-associated sexual behavior among youth, by inculcating a sense of pride and responsibility among its participants, providing them with the knowledge and skills they need, and motivating them to make a difference in their lives. 

  • LiFT’s goals are to increase the frequency and quality of communication about sexuality between teens and their supportive adults, enhance the relationship between teens and these adult  

  • Addresses the sexual health disparities affecting LGBTQ+ and ally youth. The program aims to address teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among LGBTQ+ youth ages 14 to 19. The IN·clued program takes a dual approach to address the sexual health outcomes for LGBTQ+ young people. This combination ideally results in the outcome of these youth seeking and receiving sexual health services more consistently.

  • Addresses risk factors and behaviors associated with unplanned teen pregnancy by increasing adolescent's ability to use risk-reduction skills including contraceptive use, boundary setting and communication skills, and accessing reproductive health services. The program seeks to teach adolescents to either delay/abstain from sexual activity or use birth control consistently and correctly when engaging in sexual activity.

High School

For more information about curricula, and to find out what Montana Health standards this curriculum meets, contact Anna Couch at acouch@bridgercare.org   

This website is supported by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,011,249.00 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit https://opa.hhs.gov/.