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Pennsylvania

State Information

State Policy Information

State Sex Education Policies and Requirements at a Glance

Schools in Pennsylvania are not required to teach sex education. However, curriculum is required to include instruction on STDs, including HIV. 

  • Curriculum must stress abstinence. 
  • Curriculum is not required to include instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent. 
  • School districts must publicize the fact that parents and guardians can review all curriculum materials. Parents and guardians whose principles or religious beliefs conflict with instruction may excuse their children from the programs. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
  • Pennsylvania has no regulation regarding medically accurate sex education instruction.

State Law

Schools in Pennsylvania are not required to teach sex education. Pennsylvania Constitutional Statutes Title 22 § 4.29, however, require primary, intermediate, middle, and high schools to teach sexually transmitted disease (STD), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), education. Primary schools are allowed to omit instruction on the sexual methods of disease transmission. Schools must use materials that have been determined by the local school district to be age-appropriate, discuss prevention, and stress abstinence as “the only completely reliable means of preventing sexual transmission.”

School districts must publicize the fact that parents and guardians can review all curriculum materials. Parents and guardians whose principles or religious beliefs conflict with instruction may excuse their children from the programs. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.

 

State Profiles provided by SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change. For more information regarding your state’s sex ed policy, visit https://siecus.org/state_profile/pennsylvania-state-profile-23/

Health Standards

State Standards

The state has created the Academic Standards for Health, Safety, and Physical Education, which include STD and HIV prevention education. All decisions regarding HIV prevention curricula and materials must be made by local school districts. School districts do not have to follow a specific curriculum, but they must use these standards as a framework for the development of their curricula.

State Profiles provided by SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change. For more information regarding your state’s sex ed policy, visit https://siecus.org/state_profile/pennsylvania-state-profile-23/

Organizations