Comprehensive Sexual Health Education

Comprehensive Sex Education instruction is designed to encourage students to communicate with parents, guardians or other trusted adults about human sexuality. Instruction must be medically accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive of all students. The law requires that Comprehensive Sex Education must include the following:

• Information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including transmission, FDA approved methods to prevent HIV and STIs, and treatment.

• Information that abstinence is the only certain way to prevent unintended pregnancy, HIV and other STIs, and information about value of delaying sexual activity.

• Discussion about social views of HIV and AIDS.

• Information about accessing resources for sexual and reproductive health care.

• Information about pregnancy, including FDA-approved prevention methods, pregnancy outcomes, prenatal care, and the newborn safe surrender law.

• Information about sexual orientation and gender, including the harm of negative stereotypes.

• Information about healthy relationships and avoiding unhealthy behaviors and situations

Newport-Mesa Unified School District highly qualified and trained teachers will be providing this content to seventh grade students and high school students who are enrolled in a health class.

Parents/guardians will be sent notification 14 days prior to lessons being started in the classroom. State law and district policy allows parents/guardians to opt their student out of this instruction. If parents/guardians do not want their student to participate in comprehensive sex education or HIV prevention education, he/she will be able to submit a written request to their student’s teacher, complete the NMUSD opt-out form or complete a NMUSD Google opt-out form (accessible in English and Spanish).  

However, as stated in Education Code 51932(b), the opt-out provision of the California Healthy Youth Act does not apply to instruction or materials outside the context of comprehensive sexual health education, including those that may reference gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, discrimination, bullying, relationships, or family. For example, the opt-out rule associated with comprehensive sexual health education would not apply to a social studies lesson on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Read more about the FAIR Education Act of 2011.

Health Education 1A

Comprehensive Health

Teen Talk

*All materials are copyrighted and cannot be duplicated

To view the material used in instruction please contact the office of Secondary Education at 714-524-5009 or cwarner@nmusd.us. 

1. Is NMUSD required to teach sexual health and HIV prevention education?

Yes. Assembly Bill 329 (AB 329) requires school districts throughout California to provide students with comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education, at least once in middle school and once in high school. Providing comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education in elementary school is optional and NMUSD will not be teaching comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education in elementary schools.

2. May parents or guardians opt out of comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education?

Yes. Parents and guardians may submit, in writing (to the child’s teacher), to exclude their child from participation in comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education.

3. What will be taught in the comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education?

As part of the requirements of AB 329 school districts are required to educate students on medically accurate information related to the following:

• Information about HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including transmission, effects on the human body, FDA approved methods to prevent HIV and STIs, and treatment
• Information that abstinence is the only certain way to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV and other STIs, and information about the value of delaying sexual activity
• Discussion about social views of HIV and AIDS, including addressing unfounded stereotypes and myths
• Information about accessing resources for sexual and reproductive health care
• Information about pregnancy, including FDA approves prevention methods, pregnancy outcomes, prenatal care, and the newborn safe surrender law.
• Information about sexual orientation and gender, including the harm of negative gender stereotypes
• Information about healthy relationships and avoiding unhealthy behaviors and situations including sexual harassment, sexual assault, adolescent relationship abuse, intimate partner violence, and sex trafficking

4. Will boys and girls be taught sexual health education and HIV prevention education together?

Yes. Boys and girls will be taught in co-ed classroom environments.

5. Will comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education include content on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+)?

Yes. As part of the requirements under AB 329, school districts are required to educate students on LGBTQ content such as gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

6. May I see the curriculum before it is taught to my child?

Yes. You can examine written and audiovisual instructional materials at your school upon request pending a 24 hour notification. You may request a copy of the California Healthy Youth Act (California Education Code Sections 51930-51939) by contacting the school district at 714-424-7551.