MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has notified Alabama and other states that federally funded sex education programs must remove references to gender identity or risk losing funding.
The directive affects the State Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), created under the Affordable Care Act in 2010 to help reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. PREP provides funding for programs that teach abstinence and contraception, with a focus on high-risk youth such as those in foster care, homeless youth, rural communities, and areas with high teen birth rates.
In a letter issued Tuesday, HHS said references to gender identity, pronouns, or related content fall outside the program’s scope. Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison said, “Accountability is coming. Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas.”
According to the department, more than $81 million in federal PREP funding is at stake nationwide. Alabama was specifically cited in the directive, with HHS pointing to three examples where “subjects and language are outside the scope of the authorizing statute.” Officials said those references must be removed in order for Alabama to remain eligible for funding.
States and territories have 60 days to comply with the order.
