SIECUS celebrates its 55th anniversary

A message from Christine Soyong Harley, President & CEO:

On this day in 1964, Dr. Mary S. Calderone founded SIECUS. And while so much has changed over the past 55 years, in many ways, our goal remains the same.

Dr. Calderone was determined to create a world in which sexuality was viewed as a natural and healthy part of life. As a health care provider, Dr. Calderone received visits and letters from countless young people–expressing their questions, their confusion, and their ignorance around basic concepts of sexuality and sexual and reproductive health.

Sadly, in 2019, too many young people still remain in the dark when it comes to understanding sex and sexuality.

But, at SIECUS, we are continuing to break new ground every day — advancing sexual and reproductive health information, education, and services for young people nationwide.

We’re proud of what SIECUS has accomplished since 1964. We’ve been leading the charge to bring accurate, inclusive, and empowering sex education to young people in schools for over half a century. And as we enter our 55th year of operation, we are continuing as fiercely as ever.

This year, we are:

• expanding our state and local advocacy networks to advance sex ed policies in every state;
  growing our staff of talented, passionate advocates and experts;
• creating new resources to reach typically overlooked groups including young people with disabilities, people of color, and trans youth;
• and we are pushing the field forward–urging everyone to see that, in addition to serving as a vital tool for ensuring sexual health, sex ed is also a powerful vehicle for social change.

Every day, I wake up excited about the work that we are doing at SIECUS. And this is just the start.

Imagine what our world could be like if every young person received comprehensive sexuality education. Imagine if every policymaker received and understood the importance of sex ed. Imagine what it could mean for access to sexual and reproductive health care services. Imagine what it would do to improve acceptance for marginalized communities.

At SIECUS, we’re not only imagining this world full of comprehensive sex ed, we’re committed to making it a reality. And we couldn’t do this vital work without the partners and supporters who have been lifting us up since the very beginning.

We are so grateful to those of you who have helped us accomplish our necessary work for the past 55 years. Here’s to 55 more!