California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) » California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329)

California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329)

California Healthy Youth Act

California state law, the California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329), requires that comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education be provided to students at least once in middle school and once in high school, starting in grade 7. Our elementary students do not receive comprehensive sex education instruction. This legislation was passed in 2016.

Instruction must 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. It 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

Topics and Overview 

  • Set Group Norms 
  • Puberty and Human Reproduction 
  • Gender and sexual orientation 
  • Friendship, dating, love and commitment 
  • Bullying and other risky behaviors 
  • Human trafficking 
  • Pregnancy and Fetal Development  
  • HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention 
  • Media and Peer Pressure 
  • Goal-setting and decision-making  

 

McSwain Union School District-trained instructors will be providing health and science instruction to the seventh-grade class. 


Parents will be sent notification before lessons being started in the classroom. State law and district policy allow parents to opt their students out of this instruction. 

If parents do not want their student to participate in comprehensive sexual health or HIV prevention education, he/she will be able to submit a written request to their student’s teacher.

 

To view the material used in instruction, please contact Kamaljit Pannu, Superintendent at (209) 354-2700

FAQs

 

What is “The California Healthy Youth Act”?

The California Healthy Youth Act is a Dept. of Education mandate, which took effect January 1, 2016. This mandate requires school districts to provide students with integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education, at least once in high school and once in middle school from trained instructors.



What is the purpose of the California Healthy Youth Act?

The law has five primary goals:

  1. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and from unintended pregnancy;
  2. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage and family;
  3. To promote understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development;
  4. To ensure pupils receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and provide educators with clear tools and guidance to accomplish that end;
  5. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive and safe behaviors and relationships.