REVIEW HUMAN SEXUALITY ED. STANDARDS

HM010

HOUSE MEMORIAL 10

57
th legislature
- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
second session
, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Yanira Gurrola

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW
EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE HUMAN SEXUALITY EDUCATION STANDARDS AND
PROGRAMMING TO EVALUATE HOW THE STANDARDS ARE CURRENTLY
IMPLEMENTED ACROSS SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TO IDENTIFY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.

WHEREAS, by age fifteen, twenty-two percent of youth have
engaged in sexual intercourse, and that rate increases to
fifty-six percent by age eighteen, and of those, more than one-half do not use an effective birth control method; and

WHEREAS, human sexuality education provides accurate,
evidence-based, comprehensive information about sexual health,
contraception and sexually transmitted infections and improved
knowledge of health care services that can have a significant
positive impact on a young person's life by decreasing rates of
unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and
reports of depression and anxiety; and

WHEREAS, providing accurate information to youth about
sexual health, contraception and sexually transmitted
infections and improving knowledge of health care services
increases protective sexual behaviors, such as the correct use
of condoms and birth control and abstinence from and delay of
sexual activity; and

WHEREAS, additional benefits from providing human
sexuality education to youth include increasing safety in
relationships by teaching about healthy communication, consent
and healthy relationships and reducing bullying and violence in
schools by addressing misinformation and fear-based messages
that can be potentially harmful to youth; and

WHEREAS, despite current laws in New Mexico that require
that human sexuality education be taught before graduation, not
all students are receiving comprehensive human sexuality
education in New Mexico schools, and those that offer some
human sexuality education often do not have equal access to
medically accurate, comprehensive human sexuality education;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative
education study committee be requested to review comprehensive
human sexuality education standards and programming in New
Mexico, to evaluate how those standards and programs are
currently implemented across school districts and to identify
opportunities for improvement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the staff of the legislative
education study committee be requested to submit a report on or
before December 1, 2026 to the legislative education study
committee on the review of comprehensive human sexuality
education standards and programming in the state with
recommendations for legislative action; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
transmitted to the director of the legislative education study
committee.

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