As you can see, teen girls in the U.S. have a pregnancy rate that’s nearly four times higher and an abortion rate that’s about twice as high as Dutch girls of the same age [1]. Though not depicted in the infographic above, Dutch girls (and boys) have far lower rates of STIs, too [2]. So what accounts for why teens in the Netherlands seem to fare so much better in terms of their sexual health?

Well, it’s not just one thing—the entire cultural view of sex is different in the Netherlands. For starters, the Dutch have mandated comprehensive sex education for all students. In effect, they offer sex education at all grade levels with age-appropriate material. As part of their education, students are provided with medically accurate information and teachers actually answer students' questions. In other words, Dutch students are truly learning what they want--and need--to know.

By contrast, most U.S. states do not currently (as of 2018) require sex education. Those that do typically stress abstinence and focus primarily on teaching students about the negative outcomes that will occur if they have sex. Further, only a handful of states require that any sex education provided be medically accurate. Some states go further, even placing restrictions on what sex educators can and can’t discuss in the classroom. For example, some states explicitly prohibit discussion of sexual orientation. The end result? Far too many American students aren’t really being taught useful or accurate information.