- Virginia state law mandates the teaching of topics related to sex education as part of their health education program, though it is not required to be comprehensive. Still, Virginia’s Family Life Education Guidelines and Standards of Learning require schools to provide medically accurate instruction.
- All sex ed curricula must emphasize abstinence.
- Sex ed curricula are not required to include instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- All sex ed curricula must include instruction on consent.
- Parents or guardians may remove their students from any class. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
- Curriculum standards are included in both the Family Life Education Board of Education Guidelines and Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools and the Health Education Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.
Some Sex Ed Advocates Within the State
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 Virginia profile.