Study Finds U.S. Biology Textbooks Misrepresent Sex and Gender

Researchers call for curriculum revision to align with scientific consensus, highlighting the need for accurate education on sex and gender distinctions.

A new study published in the journal Science reveals that U.S. high school biology textbooks conflate sex and gender, promoting outdated and scientifically inaccurate views.
The textbooks, used in about two-thirds of introductory high school biology classes, do not differentiate between sex as a biological phenomenon and gender as a sociological construct.
Researchers warn that these essentialist assumptions in textbooks may lead to gender stereotyping, discrimination, and the dehumanization of women and gender non-conforming individuals.
The study calls for a revision of the high school biology curriculum to reflect accurate scientific knowledge and avoid fostering misguided assumptions.
None of the six textbooks analyzed, published between 2009 and 2016, align with the scientific consensus that sex and gender are distinct concepts.