General Requirements for Sex* and HIV Education

STATE

SEX EDUCATION* MANDATED

HIV EDUCATION MANDATED

WHEN PROVIDED, SEX OR HIV EDUCATION MUST

PARENTAL ROLE

 

Be Medically Accurate

Be Age Appropriate

Be Culturally Appropriate and Unbiased

Cannot Promote Religion

Notice

Consent

Opt-out allowed

Alabama

 

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

   X  

Alaska

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

Arizona

 

 

HIV

X

 

 

X

Sex

   HIV

California

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

Colorado

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

Connecticut

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Delaware

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dist. of Columbia

X

X

 

X

 

 

X

 

X

Florida

X

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

Georgia

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

Hawaii

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

Idaho

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Illinois†​

 

X

X

X

 X

 X

 

 

X

Indiana†​

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

Iowa

X

 

X

X

X

 

X

 

X

Kansas

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

Maine

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

Maryland

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

Massachusetts

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

X

Michigan

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

Minnesota

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MississippiΩ​

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

X

 

Missouri

 

X

X

X

 

 

X

 

X

Montana

X

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

 X

Nevada

X

X

 

X

 

 

X

X

 

New Hampshire

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

New Jersey

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

X

New Mexico

X

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

New York

 

X

 

HIV

 

 

 

 

HIV

North Carolina

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Oklahoma

 

X

HIV

 

 

 

X

 

X

Oregon

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

X

Pennsylvania

 

X

 

HIV

 

 

HIV

 

HIV

Rhode Island

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

HIV

South Carolina

X

X

 

X

 

 

X

 

X

Tennessee

XΨ​

X

X

X

X

 

X

X

 

Texas

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 X

 

Utahξ​

X

X

X

 

 

 

X

X

 

Vermont

X

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

HIV

Virginia

 

 

X

X

 

 

X

 

X

Washington

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

X

West Virginia

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Wisconsin

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

TOTAL

28+DC

35+DC

18

26+DC

10

4

25+DC

6

35+DC

*    Sex education typically includes discussion of STIs.
†    Sex education is not mandatory, but health education is required and it includes medically accurate information on abstinence.
Ω   Localities may include topics such as contraception or STIs only with permission from the State Department of Education.
Ψ   Sex education is required in a county if the pregnancy rate is at least 19.5 or higher per 1,000 young women aged 15—17.
ξ    State also prohibits teachers from responding to students' spontaneous questions in ways that conflict with the law's requirements.
β    State required to teach adoption or other alternatives to abortion. Arkansas is required to teach the reasons the state prefers adoption over abortion.
∑   Kentucky prohibits sex education provided before 6th grade and requires parental consent for students in grades 6 and above.

 

Content Requirements for Sex* and HIV Education

State

When provided, sex education must include:

When provided, HIV education must include:

 

Contraception

Abstinence

Importance of sex Only within marriage

Sexual orientation

Negative outcomes of teen sex

Condoms

Abstinence

Alabama

X

Stress

X

 

 

X

Stress

Arizona

 

Stress 

 

 

X

 

Stress

Arkansas

 

Stress 

X

 

 

 

Stress

California

X

Cover 

 

Inclusive

 

X

Cover

Colorado

X

Stress

 

Inclusive

X

X

Cover

Connecticut

X

Cover

 

Inclusive

X

 

 

Delaware

X

Stress

 

Inclusive

 

X

Stress

Dist. of Columbia

X

Cover

 

Inclusive

X

 

Cover

Florida

 

Stress

X

Negativeβ

X

 

Stress

Georgia

 

Stress

X

 

 

 

Cover

Hawaii

X

Stress

 

 

 

X

Stress

Idaho

 

Stress

 

 

 

 

 

Illinois

X

Stress

X

Inclusive

 

X

Stress

Indiana

 

Stress

X

 

X

 

Stress

Iowa

 

 

 

Negativeβ 

 

 

 

Kentucky

 

Stress

 

 Prohibited

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

Stress 

X

 Negative

 

 

Stress

Maine

X

Stress 

 

 

 

X

Stress

Maryland

X

Cover 

 

Inclusive 

 

X

Cover

Michigan

 

Stress 

X

 

 

 

Stress

Minnesota

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover

MississippiΩ​

 

Stress 

X

 Negative

X

 

Stress

Missouri

X

Stress

X

 

X

 

Stress

New Hampshire

 

Cover

 

 

 

 

Cover

New Jersey

X

Stress 

 

Inclusive

 

X

Stress

New Mexico

X

Cover

 

 

X

X

Stress

New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stress

North Carolina

X

Stress

X

 

X

X

Stress

North Dakota

 

Cover

X

 

X

 

 

Ohio

 

Stress

X

 

X

 

Stress

Oklahoma

 

Stress

 

 

X

Stress

Oregon

X

Stress

 

Inclusive

 

X

Stress

Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stress

Rhode Island

X

Stress 

 

Inclusive

X

X

Stress

South Carolina

X

Stress 

X

 

 

 

Stress

South Dakota

 

Cover

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

Stress 

X

 

X

 

Stress

Texas

X

Stress

X

 

X

X

Stress

Utahξ

 

Stress 

X

 

 

 

Stress

Vermont

X

Cover

 

 

X

X

Cover

Virginia

X

Cover

X

 

X

X

Cover

Washington

X

Stress

 

Inclusive

 

X

Stress

West Virginia

X

Cover

 

 

X

X

Cover

Wisconsin

 

Stress

X

 

 

 

Stress

TOTAL

21+DC

39+DC

19

13+DC

17+DC

19

37+DC

*    Sex education typically includes discussion of STIs.
Ω   Localities may include topics such as contraception  or STIs only with permission from the state Department of Education.
ᶲ    Mandated HIV education teaches that, among other behaviors, “homosexual activity” is considered to be “responsible for contact with the AIDS virus.”
ξ    State also prohibits teachers from responding to students' spontaneous questions in ways that conflict with the law's requirements.
β    Iowa prohibits STIs, gender identity, and sexual orientation from being taught before 7th grade. Florida mandates that sex is taught as binary and unchangeable and prohibits teaching sexual orientation pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.

 

 

Sex Education* to Include Life Skills on Sexual Consent, Relationships and Prevention of Violence

State

Healthy relationships

Sexual decision-making and self-discipline

Refusal skills and personal boundaries

Consent

Dating and sexual violence prevention

Alabama

 

X

X

 

X

Alaska

 

 

 

 

X

Arizona

X

X

X

 

X

Arkansas

X

X

X

 

X

California

X

X

X

 

X

Colorado

X

X

X

X

X

Connecticut

X

X

 

 

X

Delaware

X

X

X

X

X

Dist. of Columbia

X

X

X

X

X

Florida

X

X

 

 

X

Georgia

 

 

X

 

X

Hawaii

X

X

 

 

 X

Idaho

X

X

 

 

 

Illinois

X

 

X

X

X

Indiana

 

 

 

 

X

Iowa

X

 

 

 

X

Kentucky

X

X

 

 

 

Louisiana

X

X

 

 

X

Maine

X

X

 

 

X

Maryland

X

X

X

X

X

Massachusetts

X

 

 

 

X

Michigan

 

X

X

 

X

Mississippi

 

 

 

 

X

Missouri

 

X

X

X

X

Nebraska

X

 

 

 

X

Nevada

 

X

 

 

 

New Hampshire

 

 

 

 

X

New Jersey

X

X

X

X

X

New Mexico

X

X

X

 

X

North Carolina

X

X

X

 

X

Ohio

X

 

 

 

X

Oklahoma

 

 

X

 X

 

Oregon

X

X

X

X

X

Pennsylvania

X

 

 

 

 

Rhode Island

X

X

X

 

X

South Carolina

X

 

X

X

X

Tennessee

X

X

X

 

X

Texas

X

X

X

 

X

Utah

 

 

X

 

X

Vermont

X

X

 

 

X

Virginia

X

X

X

 

X

Washington

X

X

X

X

West Virginia

X

 

X

 

X

Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

X

TOTAL

31+DC

27+DC

24+DC

10+DC

38+DC

*    Sex education typically includes discussion of STIs.

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