Sex education has never mattered more—and yet, it’s still failing the people who need it most.

I’ve spent the last year building Mobo, a modern, customizable sex ed platform designed to help educators deliver the kind of instruction young people actually deserve: engaging, inclusive, evidence-based, and compliant. But before I tell you what we’re building, I want to tell you why.

Because the problem isn’t a lack of funding. It’s not a lack of interest. It’s a failure of implementation.

Sex education isn’t happening at the scale young people need.

Despite the proven benefits, sex ed is still sparse, inconsistent, and often outdated.

• Schools don’t spend the time
  • On average, U.S. high schools spend just 6.2 hours on human sexuality—and even less on topics like HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention (Ballard Brief, 2025).
  • Only 55% of adolescents received formal instruction about contraception before having sex for the first time (Guttmacher Institute, 2017).
• Parents aren’t supplementing it
  • 57% of young people say they’ve never had a conversation with their parents about consent—making school-based education their only structured source of information (Power to Decide, 2018).
  • Nearly 1 in 4 youth report never discussing sexual topics with a parent at all (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2016).
• The knowledge gaps are staggering.
  • Among teens aged 18–19, 41% say they know little or nothing about condoms, and 75% say the same about contraception (Mic, 2014).

What happens when sex education doesn’t happen?

The consequences are real—and measurable.

• Young people start having sex earlier.
  • In one recent study, students who did not receive comprehensive sex education were 4.7 times more likely to begin sexual activity earlier than those who did (BMC Public Health, 2021).
• They take more risks
  • Nearly 44% of sexually active students didn’t use a condom during their last sexual encounter. In states like Mississippi—where abstinence-only education is required—the consequences are stark: the highest gonorrhea rate and third-highest chlamydia rate in the U.S., with more than half of cases among young people aged 15–24 (Teen Health Mississippi, 2021).
• Teen pregnancy rates go up
  • States with abstinence-only education have significantly higher teen pregnancy rates—averaging 73.2 pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 14–19, compared to 56.4 in states with comprehensive sex ed (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011).
  • Only 40% of teen mothers complete high school, and just 2% earn a college degree by age 30 (NCSL, 2018).
  • And there’s an economic impact too–Teen pregnancy and childbirth cost U.S. taxpayers $9.4 billion each year (NCSL, 2018).

And what happens when sex education does happen?

The benefits are wide-reaching—impacting health, relationships, and life outcomes.

• Risky behaviors go down.
  • Comprehensive sex education helps delay sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use—all of which contribute to lower rates of unintended pregnancy (CDC, 2020; HHS Office of Population Affairs, 2020).
  • Programs that include HIV prevention are linked to higher HIV knowledge, greater confidence in using condoms and refusing sex, fewer sexual partners, and less unprotected sex (UNESCO, 2018).
• Young people build healthier relationships.
  • Research shows that comprehensive sex education fosters stronger communication skills and helps teens develop healthier, more respectful relationships—benefits that extend far beyond the classroom (American Journal of Public Health, 2018).

Despite overwhelming demand, sex education still falls short.

Across age groups, belief systems, and political affiliations, the public strongly supports sex education.

• A 2018 national poll found that 98% of likely voters support sex education in high school, and 89% support it in middle school (Planned Parenthood, 2018).
• 82% of Americans favor teaching both abstinence and contraception, while only 36% support abstinence-only programs—and nearly half are actively opposed to them (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2006).
• Even across party lines, Democrats and Republicans agree that topics like puberty and STIs belong in the curriculum, with broad support for comprehensive programs (Admissionsly, 2024).

And despite the funding that exists, sex education remains underdelivered.

• Federal funding is substantial—but unevenly allocated.
  • The federal government provides $176 million annually for comprehensive sex education through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program ($101M) and the Personal Responsibility Education Program ($75M) (Guttmacher Institute, 2021).
  • At the same time, $110 million continues to fund abstinence-only programs—now rebranded as “sexual risk avoidance”—despite strong evidence showing their ineffectiveness (Planned Parenthood Action, 2024).
• Other federal education funds could be leveraged.
  • Title II-A provides over $2 billion annually for professional development—including training for health and wellness education (EdTech Magazine, 2024).
  • In 2023, Title I funding totaled $18.4 billion, which can be used for innovative health education under expanded allowable uses (Federation of American Scientists, 2024).
• States like California are investing more intentionally.
  • California offers multiple grant programs, including School-Linked Partnerships, Certified Wellness Coaches, and Evidence-Based Practices Grants through the CYBHI initiative (California School-Based Health Alliance, 2024).
• Private foundations are stepping in too.
  • The Ford Foundation awarded $5.5 million for reproductive health and sexuality education—outpacing the MacArthur ($1.5M) and Rockefeller ($1.8M) contributions in the same space (REsource, 2022).

So… why is sex education still failing?

If there’s funding, demand, and clear evidence of impact—why does such a massive gap remain?

• It’s inconsistently mandated.
  • Only 29 states and D.C. require sex education, and just 22 require it to be medically accurate (Guttmacher Institute, 2023).
• Teachers are burned out and underprepared.
  • Only 61% of U.S. schools require health educators to be certified or licensed (CDC, 2020).
  • Meanwhile, up to 575,000 K–12 teachers are expected to leave public schools by 2028, with burnout driven by limited resources, time, and support for personalized instruction (Tyton Partners, 2024).
• There’s no consistency or accountability across districts.
  • In California—despite a statewide mandate—only 76% of school districts provide LGBTQIA+ inclusive sex education (SIECUS, 2023).
• Political pressure and fear of backlash are rising.
  • Nearly two-thirds of teachers avoid instruction on political or social issues, even when not legally restricted, due to growing concerns about backlash (RAND Corporation, 2024).

After years of watching systems fail to deliver, I decided to build something better.

Meet Mobo.

Mobo turns existing funding into real, effective sex ed—modern, gamified, and built for how teachers actually teach. It’s the first fully customizable sex education platform designed to make implementation easy, engaging, and fully compliant.

How does it work?

• Ready-to-teach platform: Zero prep, age-appropriate content
  • Teachers can finally deliver sex ed students engage with—without spending hours planning lessons.
• Analytics built-in: Data for teachers and districts
  • Educators get insights to tailor instruction. Districts get visibility into outcomes and impact.
• Full customization: Auto-aligned to state/district policies
  • Mobo adapts automatically to state and district standards, so educators stay compliant and in control.

Why now?

We are a tipping point.

Post-COVID, educators are stretched thin, students are navigating more complexity than ever, and politics have made sex education harder to deliver—just when it’s most needed.

Mobo is the lifeline.

A flexible, evidence-based solution that clears the noise and focuses on what matters: helping young people understand their bodies, protect their health, and build meaningful relationships.

We are not disrupters. We are not building AI.

We’re building what people actually want from sex ed: control.

And Mobo gives it back to them.

‍

How can you get involved?

Mobo is just getting started—but we’re building it with the people it’s meant to serve: educators, students, and communities who deserve better. If you believe sex education could be easier, more effective, and actually usable, I’d love to connect.

Whether you're a teacher, school leader, policymaker, or just someone who cares—we’re looking for early partners, pilot schools, and collaborators who want to shape what’s next.

You can reach me directly at jscherma@learnmobo.com or visit learnmobo.com to learn more.

Let’s build something that lasts.

—Jenna Scherma (Founder of Mobo)

‍

Sources

CDC. (2020, 2021). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

UNESCO. (2018). International technical guidance on sexuality education: An evidence-informed approach.

SIECUS. (2023). California State Profile.

Planned Parenthood (2018). New National Poll Shows Likely Voters Strongly Support Sex Education and Federal Funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs.

Power to Decide. (2018). Survey of Young Adults' Attitudes Toward Sex Education.

Crimes Against Children Research Center. (2017). Youth Internet Safety Survey.

WHO. (2018). Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe.

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2018). Teen Pregnancy Prevention.

American Journal of Public Health. (2018). Effects of Sex Education on Young People's Sexual Behavior.

Guttmacher Institute. (2017, 2023). State Laws and Policies: Sex and HIV Education.

HHS Office of Population Affairs. (2020). Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs.

Stanger-Hall, K.F. & Hall, D.W. (2011). "Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S." PLoS ONE 6(10): e24658.

Mic (2014). The States With the Highest Teenage Birth Rates Have One Thing in Common.

Teen Health Mississippi (2021). Sex Education Policy: Effect on Pregnancy & STI.

BMC Public Health (2021). Delaying sexual onset: outcome of a comprehensive sexuality education initiative for adolescents in public schools.

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2006). Public opinion on sex education in US schools.

Admissionsly (2024). The State of U.S Sex Education (Statistics & Facts - 2025).

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2016). Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. PMC4857605.

Guttmacher Institute (2021). Evidence-Based Sex Education: The Case for Sustained Federal Support.

EdTech Magazine (2024). How Is Title II-A Funding Professional Development in Schools?

Planned Parenthood Action (2024). How Sex Education is Funded.

Federation of American Scientists (2024). Using Title 1 to Unlock Equity-Focused Innovation for Students.

California School-Based Health Alliance (2024). Funding School-Based Health & Wellness Centers.

REsource (2022). Centering Women's Rights in the Population Field: The Ford Foundation and Sexual Health in the 1990s.

Guttmacher Institute. (2024, March 28). Sex Education: Politicians, Parents, Teachers and Teens.

Tyton Partners. (2024, November 22). Spring 2024 Data on What's Causing K-12 Teachers to Quit Schools and What Will Make Them Stay.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check cited sources.

RAND Corporation. (2024, February 16). Teachers Censor Themselves on Socio-Political Issues, Even Without Restrictive State Laws.

‍