Planned Parenthood mistakenly gives explicit coloring books to children at museum event

In March 2025, Planned Parenthood was involved in an incident at the Kentucky Science Center where a staff member unintentionally distributed sexually explicit coloring books to children aged 8 to 13 during a Health & Wellness Days event. The organization later acknowledged that the coloring book, which was created for an adult audience for their annual National Conference, contained illustrations of male and female genitalia, depictions of birth control methods, and fill-in-the-blank activities related to sexual topics. This distribution took place amidst a larger effort to educate on health and wellness but clearly misaligned with the event's objectives. The Kentucky Science Center, upon learning of the distribution from concerned parents and attendees, issued an apology on March 26, expressing their disapproval of the material and explaining that it did not reflect their policies. They clarified that they had not approved the use of such explicit material for the event and expressed significant regret for any harm caused to participants and the community. The center stressed that from now on, they would ensure that all materials presented at events undergo thorough review processes to prevent similar mistakes in the future. In light of this incident, Planned Parenthood released a statement acknowledging the error and assuring the public that they are currently reviewing their internal protocols to ensure such occurrences do not happen again. While the organization has a long history of advocating for sexual health education, this incident raises concerns about the appropriateness of material shared in environments intended for young audiences. The backlash highlights the need for better screening of educational materials, especially when they are aimed at children and adolescents. The fallout from this incident has created discussions surrounding the boundaries of sexual education for younger audiences and the responsibilities of organizations like Planned Parenthood when engaging with communities. The Kentucky Science Center reiterated their mission to inspire a love of science through education, indicating that they take this matter seriously and are working to rectify the error made by their partner organization. The public response has prompted conversations about how educational institutions collaborate with external organizations and the importance of maintaining suitable educational standards for age-appropriate content.