Know Your Rights: Sex Education

Jan 22, 2018

California students have the right to comprehensive sex education that is medically accurate, inclusive, and unbiased. We developed the resources below to support parents, students, and administrators in ensuring their schools meet the requirements of the California Healthy Youth Act, California’s sex education law, which went into effect in 2016.

  • California Healthy Youth Act 101. Start here to find basic information and resources about the California Healthy Youth Act, including factsheets about how it applies to elementary and charter schools.

  • Compliance Guidance. Technical resources to help administrators and others who want to learn how schools and districts can ensure legally compliant sex education in their schools. 

  • Tools for Action. Want to learn how to take action in your school to ensure good sex education? These tools for students, parents, and other stakeholders will show you how to build an advocacy campaign from the ground up.

If you have concerns about the sex education that is being taught in your schools, let us know.

California Healthy Youth Act 101

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Compliance guidance

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Tools for action

  • Take Action!
    Parents are often the first line of defense when it comes to protecting their children’s right to comprehensive sex ed. Read this primer on parents’ role in school compliance.
    » Leer en español

  • Be the Change: Advocacy Toolkit
    Developed in partnership with Bay Area Communities for Health Education (BACHE).
    Advocates come in all shapes and sizes – from parents to teachers to concerned community members – and you can all use this toolkit with a step-by-step checklist to make sure your school is providing legally compliant sex education.
    » Leer en español

  • Are things heating up in your school district?
    The ACLU has also developed rapid response tools for sex ed advocacy. Fill out our legal intake form to tell us about your experience.

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More information

To learn more about our work on sex education, please see our main reproductive justice and gender equity page.

Questions?

Contact us at sexualhealthed@aclunc.org.