- Tennessee state law does not mandate the teaching of sexuality education. However, schools are required to teach a family life education program if their county pregnancy rate exceeds 19.5 pregnancies per every 1,000 females ages 15-17. These programs must promote “sexual risk avoidance” and prohibit “gateway sexual activity.”
- Sex ed curricula are not required to include instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity, or affirmative consent.
- Sex ed curricula are not required to be comprehensive, but it is required to be medically accurate.
- HB 1269 was passed in 2023. It states that teachers are not required to use students’ preferred pronouns and are not civilly liable for choosing not to do so.
- Parents and guardians are able to remove their children from sex ed instruction upon written request. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
- The Tennessee Health Education Standards include instruction on STIs beginning in grade 3. Beginning in grade 6, the standards include the expectation that students will learn to “identify abstinence from sexual activity as the responsible and preferred choice for adolescents.” The Tennessee Lifetime Wellness Curriculum Standards mandate a section on sexuality and relationships. The standards describe abstinence as a positive choice but also include instruction on contraception.
Bills to Watch
- HB 1414 was introduced in 2023. It would establish fundamental parental rights, increase parental involvement in the public school system, require prior written consent for sex ed and any SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) instruction, and enable forced outing and misgendering.
- HB 1293 and SB 1204 were introduced in 2023. They would amend Family Life Education requirements by allowing for schools to revise the curriculum to include instruction on contraceptives, consent, pregnancy, abortion, and certain relationship and communication skills.
- HB 643 was introduced in 2023. It would limit Family Life Education to grades 6-12, and would require lessons to include the benefits of adoption.
- SB 620 was introduced in 2023. It would establish a Parental Bill of Rights.
Some Sex Ed Advocates Within the State
- Girls, Inc. of Chattanooga
- SisterReach
- Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi
- Women’s Fund of Chattanooga
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 Tennessee profile.