Report: Age-Verification Laws Impacting Sex Educators
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 2, 2026 — Washington, DC
Age-verification laws ostensibly targeting online pornography are causing significant collateral damage among sex educators and sexual health professionals, according to new data released today by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Despite promises that the age-verification laws would simply prevent minors from accessing explicit adult sites, a majority of sexual health professionals say the laws are threatening sex education and other resources.
Preliminary analysis from the national survey of sex educators and other sexual health professionals conducted in March by Woodhull documents the laws’ widespread impact. Among all professionals surveyed, sex educators were the most impacted by the laws.
- 73% of sex educators are concerned age-verification laws will impact their work, practice or resources
- 76% of sex educators fear such laws could be further used to restrict access to sex education and related resources.
- One in five educators (18%) say the laws have already impacted their work, rising to 1 in 3 (33%) of educators working in states with AV mandates.
The concern was broadly shared among all sexual health professionals:
- 58% of sexual health professionals fear age-verification laws could be used to restrict access to sex education and other resources
- 53% say they are concerned AV laws will impact their work or practice
“Age-verification laws are already impacting sex education in the US,” says Ricci Joy Levy, President and CEO of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. “Again and again, we were told this was only about keeping minors from accessing porn. Woodhull warned these vague and overly broad policies would also result in censorship of vital, non-explicit information about sex and gender, and the data bear this out. The current age-verification protocols are ripe for abuse, and educators are right to be scared.”
Since 2023, nearly half of U.S. states have passed laws mandating age verification in order to access sites with material “harmful to minors.” Legislators have advanced age-verification as a common-sense measure to prevent children from accessing pornographic websites. However, the statutory definition of “harmful to minors” is vague and has been used in many states to prevent those under 18 from accessing sex education and LGBTQ+ literature.
The Woodhull survey of sexual health professionals was conducted between March 3 – 28, 2026. The anonymous survey was distributed via sex education organizations and networks. Respondents’ areas of practice included sex education, research, mental health services, relationship counseling, reproductive care, wellness, and advocacy. Approximately 60 respondents (n=56) completed the survey during its initial distribution.
The survey data offer a preliminary look at the effects of age-verification laws on sexual health and education. Woodhull plans to expand the survey’s reach this spring to better understand how different populations and practices are being affected by these laws.
For more information on the survey, including additional data, contact Woodhull Freedom Foundation at [email protected].
ABOUT WOODHULL FREEDOM FOUNDATION
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation works to change laws, policies, and practices across a range of issues that deny or threaten people’s fundamental human right to sexual freedom. Founded in 2003 and named for Victoria Woodhull, the 19th-century feminist, activist, and suffragette who fought for women’s rights, the Foundation is the preeminent voice at the intersection of sexual rights and human rights, fighting against the tyranny of widespread sexual repression in America. To learn more, visit www.woodhullfoundation.org.
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