What the Healthy Teens Act Does

The Healthy Teens Act protects Florida's teens by requiring Florida public schools that already teach information about sexually transmitted infections, family planning, and pregnancy to provide medically-accurate and comprehensive sex education - including facts about abstinence and methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and the spread of diseases. 

The Healthy Teens Act defines comprehensive sex education as information about:

• Responsible decision-making

• Goal setting, negotiation, and communication

• Self-esteem and positive interpersonal skills

• Abstinence

• Starting in the 6th grade, the risks and benefits of contraception and methods of preventing sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS

The Healthy Teens Act requires that affected schools emphasize that abstinence is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

What the Healthy Teens Act Does NOT Do

The Healthy Teens Act does not require that all schools teach sex education.

The Healthy Teens Act only applies to those public schools that are already teaching information about HIV/AIDS, family planning, or pregnancy. 

The Healthy Teens Act does not take away local control or require a particular curriculum to be used statewide.

The Healthy Teens Act leaves implementation and curriculum choices to local school districts.  As each community and school district is different, it is important that local school districts and boards determine the curriculum that is best for their community so long as that curriculum meets the requirements of the Healthy Teens Act.

The Healthy Teens Act does not encourage young people to be sexually active.

The overwhelming weight of evidence shows that sex education that discusses both the benefits and limitations of contraception does not hasten the onset of sex, increase the frequency of sex, nor increase the number of sexual partners.   In fact, studies demonstrate they can help young people delay sexual activity and increase contraceptive use among those who are sexually active, as well as decrease the number of partners among those who are sexually active.[1] 

The Healthy Teens Act does not require teachers to teach second graders how to put a condom on a banana.

The Healthy Teens Act requires public schools receiving state funding who already teach programs or provide information on family planning, pregnancy, or sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS to provide comprehensive, medically-accurate, and age-appropriate factual information.  The Healthy Teens Act states clearly that information relating to the use of contraceptives and other methods of disease prevention is required to be taught starting in the 6th grade.

A 2006 University of Florida study, 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males and the 1995 and 2002 National Surveys of Family Growth found that many teens receive information about contraception and abstinence too late-after they have begun to have sex.  According to 2005 data from the CDC, 9% of students in Florida had sex for the first time before age 13 (compared to 6% nationwide).   Young people need the tools to make responsible decisions, before it is too late.

[1] Kirby, Douglas, (2001) Emerging Answers Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy, Washington DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.