643 Policy: Human Sexuality and Sexually Transmitted Infections Education

I.    Human sexuality (HS) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) education, including HIV/AIDS and Human Papilloma Virus, will be included as a planned portion of the regular health education curriculum and will be included in the Program Improvement Process for health education.

II.    The District will maintain the following in developing and HS/STI education:

A.    Parent Communication

1.    Detailed information letters will be sent to parents in a timely fashion, including information on the process for opting students out of HS/STI education.

2.    Opportunity for parents to preview print and media materials related to the HS/STI curriculum will be provided.

3.    If guest speakers are invited to speak in health classes on the topic of HS/STI, the teacher will send home an advance notice to parents of the speaker and the topic.  The notice will include a process for opting students out of the speaker’s presentation.

B.    Design and Delivery

1.    Two-track system

a.    The grade 8 and senior high health classes will be offered as a two-track system, a sexual abstinence-until-marriage track and a sexual abstinence-based track.

b.    The sexual abstinence-until-marriage track will:

1)    Guide and empower students to remain sexually abstinent until marriage

2)    Encourage students to seek support and advice from their parents/guardians and their faith community, if any, rather than friends and community resources

3)    Discuss contraceptives only within the context of their failure rates.

c.    The sexual abstinence-based track will:

1)    Encourage sexual abstinence as the best choice for teens

2)    Encourage students to seek support and advice from their family, and other community resources

3)    Define contraceptive methods and identify their effectiveness.

2.    Initial grade level

a.    Human sexuality education will begin no earlier than grade 4.  

b.    HIV/AIDS/STI education will begin at grade 3 under Disease Prevention.

3.    Gender Separation

Students will be separated by gender when dealing with information concerning private body parts or sexual and reproductive topics in grades 4, 5, 6, and in the grade 8 sexual abstinence-until-marriage track.

III.    A Human Sexuality Curriculum Advisory Committee will be charged to provide input into the Program Improvement Process for the HS/STI curriculum.

Adopted/Revised
Adopted:  6/3/03 (formerly Policy 6511)      

Legal Reference
 M.S. 121A.23