Analysis of State Health Education Laws Texas Summary Report Overview State laws and regulations in health education serve as a foundation to drive school-based programs and instruction. Well-designed and well-implemented sexual health education programs have been shown to reduce student risky sexual behaviors and improve health-related behaviors and outcomes. The following report provides a snapshot of Texas laws and regulations related to sexual health education, HIV prevention education, STD prevention education, school health policies and practices across states and sexual health risk behaviors among high school students nationwide. Texas health education laws and regulations were analyzed across three topics of instruction (sexual health education, HIV Prevention, and STD Prevention) and a variety of characteristics related to curriculum and instruction. These characteristics were identified by researchers as potential facilitators for successful programs. The law and regulation data presented only indicate the presence or absence of a particular component related to health education and may not accurately reflect practice within the state. Texas Law Facts * The agency with authority to choose or approve curriculum for sexual health education instruction is not addressed. * Parents/Guardians must be provided the opportunity to Opt-out students from sexual health education instruction. * Instruction regarding contraception is required for sexual health education. * Abstinence is a required topic of instruction for sexual health education.[KN(1] Core Topics Addressed in Texas Law Topic of Instruction (Level of Requirement) * Sexual Health Education (Required) * HIV Prevention (No Law or Regulation) * STD Prevention (No Law or Regulation) Presence of Evidence Based Components Common Attributes of Effective School-Based Sexual Health Education * Curriculum is delivered by trained instructors (Not included in laws) * Parental/Stakeholder Involvement. Parents and/or other key stakeholders are involved in the review, development, and/or approval of curriculum (Required) Sexual Health Education * Curriculum Follows Federal or National Standards, Guidelines, and/or Recommendations (Not included in laws) * Curriculum is appropriate for age or developmental stage (Not included in laws) * Curriculum is medically accurate (Not included in laws) * Instruction is sequential across grade levels (Not included in laws) * Curriculum includes instruction on strategies or skills (Optional) Sexual Health Education School Health Policies and Practices Nationwide 56-94% of secondary schools across states provided those who teach sexual health education with strategies that are age-appropriate, relevant, and actively engage students in learning 48-100% of secondary schools across states taught how HIV and other STDs are transmitted in a required course during grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 Median percent of secondary schools in the U.S. in which teachers tried to increase student knowledge on... 79% Human Sexuality 86% HIV Prevention 86% STD Prevention Source: School Health Profiles (Profiles), 2016. Profiles is a national survey of middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories. Risk Behaviors Among High School Students Nationwide 12% Have had sexual intercourse with 4 or more partners 21% Drank alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse* 57% Used a condom during last sexual intercourse* In a classroom of 30 high school students nationwide, 9 are currently sexually active, 3 ever had sex, but are not currently sexually active, 18 never had sex. *Among the students nationally who were currently sexually active (had sexual intercourse during the 3 months before the survey). Note: Texas participated but did not receive weighted data for the 2015 YRBS and did not obtain representative data for the selected questions from the 2016 Profiles. Source: National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2015. Know Your State Laws and Policies For more information on: State laws and practices; Attributes of an effective sexual health education program; and State specific health data, visit www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/about/policy.htm [KN(1]Looks like Texas has discretionary requirements, I did not know if this needed to be noted in abstinence