- Sex ed is mandated in Hawaii as of 2015.
- Sex ed must include age-appropriate, medically accurate information and include lessons on abstinence, contraception, and methods of infection prevention.
- Students are encouraged to communicate with their parents and/or guardians about sexuality.
- Lessons must stress that abstinence is the surest way to prevent unintended pregnancies, STIs, and “consequent emotional distress.”
- Hawaii’s education policy 103-8 states that birth control devices may be discussed during human reproduction studies; however, the distribution of condoms and other prophylactic devices to students is prohibited in the classroom, on school grounds, and at school-related activities.
- Hawaii does not require parental permission for students to participate in sex ed, but parents may remove their children from the course. This is referred to as an opt-out policy.
- Hawaii’s Content and Performance Standards for health courses state that sexual health should be addressed, and inform schools which content areas must be covered. However, the standards do not give curricula guidelines or go into detail regarding what topics should be discussed.
- Seven approved curricula are listed online.
For more detailed information on how various districts in the state have been implementing these standards — and for recent legislation — you can read SIECUS’s Hawaii profile.