Sex Ed In Montana
Bridgercare's education team believes knowledge is power. People are complex, with unique experiences beyond data points. We share these resources to highlight reproductive healthcare access in Montana and impact our communities.
Why Does Reproductive Health Education Matter?
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%.
15% report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse, compared to 8% nationwide.
Only 53% 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 condom and having sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol
What Sets Bridgercare Education Apart?
In Montana, sex ed is mandated by state law, but the law does not require the sex education that schools provide to students be medically accurate or developmentally appropriate. This is where Bridgercare’s Education stands apart! The sex ed that we teach in classrooms has been proven to reduce risky behaviors and has been thoroughly reviewed for medical accuracy! Learn more about all of the ways Bridgercare Education stands apart!
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Did you know that sex ed in Montana is not mandated to be medically accurate? At Bridgercare, our lessons provide information that is evidence-based in research and from experts in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Our lessons include accurate information about anatomy, transmission of sexually transmitted infections, menstruation, pregnancy, contraception and more.
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Adverse childhood experiences or ACEs refer to a range of stressful or traumatic events that occur during childhood and can have a lasting impact on a person's health and well-being. As of 2020-2021, 25% percent have experienced 2 or more ACEs, and 45% percent of children in Montana have experienced at least one ACE, as reported by a parent/caregiver. This is compared to 39% of children who have experienced at least one ACE nationally. Bridgercare educators are trained in how to provide trauma-informed education, knowing that it can be difficult to learn if a young person is in a constant state of stress.
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Developmentally appropriate education refers to teaching practices, activities, and environments that are designed to meet children at their current level of development and support their growth in a way that is both challenging and achievable. It takes into account a young person’s age, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities.
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Culturally responsive education is an approach to teaching and learning that recognizes and values that each community and student has different needs, cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives
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Our education is adapted to make sure students see themselves in the curriculum. Studies show that when students see their perspectives reflected in curriculum they are more engaged. It is important to us that all students are seen and validated in our lessons.
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Bridgercare educators to not disclose personal values while teaching. Educators are trained to answer values-based questions with fact and encourage students to talk to trusted adults about their values on the subject.
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Bridgercare teaches evidence-based curriculum, which have been rigorously studied and found to decrease sexual risk behaviors such as sexually transmitted infection, unintentional pregnancy, and delay sexual behavior.
Montana Sex Education Resources
Montana Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs Assessment
Data presented in this dashboard were gathered from secondary sources. This data is a snapshot in time and may not fully capture every nuance of reproductive and sexual health in Montana.
State By State Requirements for Sex and HIV Education
Learn more about each states’ requirements for sexual and reproductive health education and how they differ. In Montana, while sex ed is mandated, it is NOT required to be medically accurate or age appropriate. More information can be found in the Guttmacher table linked below.
Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey
For more than 30 years, researchers have used the Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey to track health behaviors among Montana youth, specifically behaviors that are considered “risky” such as alcohol use and having sex without a condom.
Sex Ed in Montana
SB99, a senate bill that significantly impacted the nature of sexual education in Montana, had widespread effects on educators’ ability to provide high quality sexual education to their students. Learn more about these effects below.
Stay in the Loop on Bridgercare’s Education Programs!
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Anna Couch (She/Her)
EDUCATION MANAGER
Anna started as the Education and Outreach Coordinator in October of 2022, and has since become Bridgercare’s Education Manager. She is thrilled to be providing education to this community because she received sex education in this valley herself! She graduated from Montana State University, where she was on a student-led research team that studied the experience of young adults who received sex education in Montana. When not advocating for sexual health, you can find Anna playing in the mountains with her pup or singing loudly to one of her new favorite songs in the car.
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Anne McBride (She/Her)
EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Anne joined the Education Team after a year and a half of working at Bridgercare's front desk. She is deeply proud of the work that Bridgercare does in the community, and is excited to continue that work as the Education Program Coordinator! When not nose-deep in data and program expansion, you can find Anne on one of Bozeman's many world-class trails, watching competition baking shows, and pretending other people's dogs are her own.
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McKeely Shannon (She/Her)
LEAD EDUCATION SPECIALIST
McKeely was an education and development intern at Bridgercare from 2018-2019 and is stoked to rejoin the team as an educator! Her mother has been a nurse for 40 years and provided age-appropriate sex education conversations throughout her childhood. She felt prepared and confident in making decisions about her sexual health due to this education, but also witnessed friends and classmates in college not having the same foundational understanding. As a nursing student, and then as a Community Health major McKeely became passionate about sexual and reproduce health. When not teaching you can find McKeely reading speculative fiction and foraging tasty things to cook and bake.
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Kylie Bachich (She/Her)
EDUCATION SPECIALIST
Kylie grew up in Bozeman, her involvement with Bridgercare started in 2017-2019 as Peer Educator for her classmates in the Gallatin Valley. She is beyond excited to join the team as an Education Specialist and continue to provide comprehensive sex education around the state. Completing a degree in Public Health at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kylie is passionate about supplying people with the tools needed to make informed and empowered decisions about their reproductive health. Outside of work Kylie is likely hiking, camping, or doing some other variety of outdoor activity with friends and family.
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