Giving Compass' Take:

• In order to compensate for the lack of accurate, comprehensive sex education in schools, AMAZE brings sex education to YouTube to provide accessible information to kids and teens.

• How can philanthropy boost access to comprehensive sex education, particularly in places where schools are failing students?

• Find out how states are teaching sex ed.

Some schools provide comprehensive sex education, some provide only a few hours of sex education throughout middle and high school, and some schools do not provide any sex education at all.

Currently, only 24 states and Washington, D.C., mandate some form of sex education, and only 13 of those require that the information presented be medically accurate.

Evaluations of comprehensive sex education programs show that they can help youth to delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use. Importantly, the evidence shows that youth who receive comprehensive sex education are not more likely to become sexually active, increase sexual activity, or experience negative sexual health outcomes.

Since late 2016, the WestWind Foundation has been collaborating with national sex education experts Advocates for Youth, Answer, and Youth Tech Health in creating an online space called AMAZE. The goal of this initiative is for youth in late elementary and middle school to learn about puberty, body image, healthy relationships and sexual health.

The AMAZE videos provide the answers young people want and need in an age-appropriate and relatable format.

According to the latest research, the most effective strategy for engaging young people online with sexual health information is to meet them where they are. YouTube has become one of the most popular sites for teens, and by developing content for this platform, AMAZE aims to cut through the clutter of inaccurate, incomplete or simply out-of-touch online content.

Read the full article about sex education on YouTube at Media Impact Funders.