California Healthy Youth Act

In January 2016, the state approved the California Healthy Youth Act, which requires that all school districts provide comprehensive sexual health education and disease prevention to students at least once in middle school and at least once in high school. The Board of Education approved this curriculum be delivered in grades 8 and 9.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in Teen Talk High School, an 8–10 hour comprehensive sexuality education course developed by Health Connected. Lessons were developed in accordance with the California Health Education Content Standards for “Growth, Development and Sexual Health” and the California Healthy Youth Act and instruction will be delivered by Health Connected. 

This education program is meant to encourage students to communicate with their parents, guardians, or other trusted adults about human sexuality and healthy relationships. The information provided will be medically accurate, age-appropriate, inclusive of all students, and cover the following topics:

• Personal values reflection
• Family communication
• Sexual and reproductive anatomy
• Gender and sexual identities
• Abstinence, consent, and decision-making
• Birth control, including condom steps
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Sexual safety and the law
• Healthy relationships
• Body image and media

If you have any questions about the topics that will be covered during the course, or wish to review course materials, please contact Health Connected or make an appointment by contacting your child’s school.

Parents/guardians may opt a student out of selected lessons or the entire program by writing a letter to the school principal. Please note that because of the comprehensive nature of the curriculum, if a parent/guardian opts their child out of selected lessons, there is a chance that topic may surface again during one of the following lessons through student or classroom discussions. In accordance with California Education Code 51932(b), the opt-out provision does not apply to instruction or materials outside the context of comprehensive sexual health education, including those that may reference gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, discrimination, bullying, relationships, or family.