California Healthy Youth Act

The California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) went into effect in January 2016 and requires schools to provide all students in grades 7-12 with age-appropriate sexual health education that is comprehensive and medically accurate.

The law mandates that curriculum must be LGBTI inclusive so that no students are left out, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. It also requires schools to provide information on sexually transmitted infections/HIV prevention, pregnancy prevention, consent, and healthy relationships (how to avoid adolescent relationship abuse and sex trafficking).

The following resources can help educators and school-based health practitioners learn about this new requirement for California schools.

• California Family Health Council’s On-Demand Webinar on the CA Healthy Youth Act
  This free webinar clarifies all sections of the CA Education Code (51930-51939) that were updated with the passage of the Healthy Youth Act. It also provides specific examples of how the purpose of the act, required criteria, and required instruction can all be implemented to provide comprehensive sexual health education in grades 7-12 in compliance with the HYA.
• The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California’s Know Your Rights: Sex Education
  The ACLU of Northern California works with parents and community members to ensure that the sex education provided in local schools is medically accurate and in compliance with California law. This page has materials they have developed to help you understand the law and advocate for better sex education in your schools.

National Sexuality Education Standards

The first-ever national standards for sexuality education in schools provide clear, consistent, and straightforward guidance on the essential minimum, core content for sexuality education that is developmentally appropriate for students in grades K through 12. The standards are the result of a cooperative effort by the American Association for Health Education, the American School Health Association, the National Education Association Health Information Network, and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education, in coordination with the Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative.

Sample School District Policies on Sexual Health Education

• CSBA Board Policy Sample on Comprehensive Sexual Health Education
• Fremont Unified School District Health and Sex Education Advisory Committee Case Study
• Fresno Unified School District Case Study
• San Diego Unified School District Case Study
• San Francisco Unified School District Case Study
• Selma Unified School District Case Study

Sexual Health Education Websites and Resources

• ACLU of Northern California: California Healthy Youth Act Toolkit 
• California Department of Education
• Overarching California Health Education Content Standards and Rationales
• California Healthy Kids Resource Center: Sexual Health Curriculum Review Form
• National Institute of Reproductive Health: Urban Initiative Website
• Rutgers University: Answer Sex Ed, Honestly
• National Campaign’s What Works in Teen Pregnancy Prevention
• Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice: Parent Communication Toolkit
• California Latinas for Reproductive Justice: Focus Group Findings Report
• California Parents’ Preferences and Beliefs Regarding School-Based Sex Education Policy. N.A. Constantine, P Jerman, A.X. Huang. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2007, 39(3) :167-175