 | Youth Issues: Health Rights and Comprehensive Sex Education |
This month
SWAP features resources on the legal health and sex education rights of youth and two organizations that champion these rights: the
ACLU of Northern California and the
National Center for Youth Law (NCYL). These two advocacy organizations provide leadership and reliable resources that maintain and inform health and educational rights of youth.
Youth Reproductive Health Rights
Medical providers, parents and youth are often confused if not misinformed about the legal health rights of minors. The quickest way to access clear and concise information on this complicated topic is to go to
Teen Health Rights a Project of the National Center for Youth Law. The driving force behind this site and the Teen Health Rights Initiative is Senior Attorney, Rebecca Gudeman. This site is designed to answer the questions and concerns that providers have on the California laws about minor consent, confidentiality and access to care. Updates and summaries of laws that affect access and rights of teens to services are available. The site also provides resources addressing a wide array of adolescent health concerns that include mental health rights as well as an article regarding parents' concerns and responses to the STD vaccination, "
Targeting Adolescents for an STD Vaccine: Parent Interest and Strategies to Encourage Vaccination." The NCYL site is a find for providers, peer educators, parents and youth.
Youth's Right to Comprehensive Sex Education
Under the California Education Code, (SECTION 51930 -51939) sexuality education in public schools must be medically accurate, free of bias, comprehensive, age-appropriate, and appropriate for students of all genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. It must also be accessible to students with disabilities and English-learner students. Information about abstinence, condoms, sexually transmitted infections and contraception must be included in grades 7-12. Public schools in California are prohibited from using abstinence-only curricula. Curricula are to include knowledge and skills so that the student can protect her/himself from unintended pregnancy and from STDs including HIV/AIDS. There is a direct link to the California Education Code below.
The ACLU-NC has successfully worked with parent advocates in various school districts to bring the schools' sex education curricula into compliance with the law. Phyllida Burlingame, ACLU-NC sex education policy director, educates communities and districts about the law in an effort to ensure its implementation throughout the state of California. California youth deserve comprehensive sex education, Burlingame states: "They are legally entitled to the facts they need to promote and protect their health and prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs." The facts explaining the sex education laws and descriptions of curricula requirements are provided by the ACLU-NC
SWAP Resources
The SWAP database is a central location for vital resources on these topics. Review fact sheets, curricula and palm cards, then download materials that are best suited to clarify complicated issues and increase awareness about the rights of youth.
CA Minor Consent Laws Pocket Card for Youth and their Providers (Front of Card)
CA Minor Consent Laws Pocket Card for Youth and their Providers (Back of Card)
For additional resources on the legal rights of minors, visit the SWAP Materials Search site
at http://stdhivtraining.org/material_swap.html and enter "minor rights" in the search text box.