THE BIG QUESTION
WHY SEX ED?
Healthy teens are essential to the well-being of every community. While sensitive and often difficult to discuss, sexual health is an important part of the overall health and well-being of young people.
Educating young people about age-appropriate sexual health topics is critical because such education helps ensure that they are able to prevent unintended teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) today. It also prepares youth for a lifetime of reproductive health and family planning, the avoidance of STIs, and healthy relationships, including consent and boundary setting.
To accomplish its work, EOI partners with Iowa’s communities, schools, providers, parents, and caregivers to educate young people ages 13-24. This work helps lower the teen birth rate in Iowa and help teens stay in school, finish their education, and create brighter futures for themselves and their families.
Contrary to popular belief, providing young people with information about both abstinence and contraception does not encourage teens to have more sex.
In fact, the opposite is true: numerous federally-funded studies have shown that, as compared to peers who participate in abstinence-only programs, students who receive comprehensive sex education are more likely to delay sexual activity and to use condoms and have fewer partners when they do become sexually active.
At EOI, we know that comprehensive sexual health education programs help students form better relationships, increase self-esteem, and receive support if they do become pregnant. They are also inclusive of all students and do not alienate lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender students or those who are already pregnant or parenting.
ARE YOU A...?
TEEN
Access our list of resources, and check out our new website, TheBoost.
PARENT/ CAREGIVER
Get top tips for starting the talk with your teen and access our list of resources.
EDUCATOR
Access our list of resources, programs, trainings and membership options.
NEW
ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Join EOI as a member today! As a part of our dynamic community of sexual health educators, you’ll get exclusive access to all of EOI’s unique resources for youth-serving professionals, including our online and in-person trainings, on-demand one-on-one consultation with our expert staff, regular networking opportunities, and more!
NEW
EYES OPEN ACADEMY
Welcome to the Eyes Open Academy, our new online training school that provides you with on-demand access to EOI’s curricula and skills-building trainings. The Academy is intended to help you become the most effective, knowledgeable sexual health educator you can be!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
DONATE
Your donation to EyesOpenIowa today will help give young people the information and skills they need to make healthy and informed choices by delaying sex until they are ready, using protection when they do engage in sexual activity, and preventing sexual assault and abuse. We would welcome your support!
What Makes EOI Unique?
- Founded in 1994 as the first statewide teen pregnancy prevention coalition, EOI remains home to the only statewide adolescent sexual health network of over 1,800 agencies, schools, youth-serving professionals, teens, and parents.
- EOI is the only statewide organization devoted solely to adolescent sexual health.
- EOI is the sole organization with staff certified to train teachers on the comprehensive sexual health education curricula most commonly used by Iowa’s school districts.
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EyesOpenIowa is designated by the federally funded agency Advocates for Youth as the State Lead Agency in Iowa for Teen Pregnancy Prevention.
