Document summarizes legal requirements for sexual health education, including options for abstinence-based and abstinence-only sexual health education.

Board policy addresses abstinence in a list of methods of pregnancy and disease prevention.

(1) The principal modes by which dangerous communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are spread and the best methods for the restriction and prevention of these diseases shall be taught in every public school in this state. Subject to subsection (3) and section 1507b, the teaching under this section shall stress that abstinence from sex is a responsible and effective method for restriction and prevention of these diseases and is a positive lifestyle for unmarried young people.

(2) Except for licensed health care professionals who have received training on human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, each person who teaches K to 12 pupils about human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pursuant to subsection (1) shall have training in human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome education for young people. The superintendent of public instruction, in cooperation with the department of public health, shall train trainers to provide the teacher training required by this subsection and shall provide for the development and distribution to school districts of medically accurate material on the teaching of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome to young people.

(3) The choice of curricula to be used for human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome education required to be taught under subsection (1) shall be approved by the appropriate school board and implemented in the school setting not later than October 1, 1990. Before adopting any revisions to the curriculum implemented under this section, including, but not limited to, revisions to provide for the teaching of abstinence from sex as a responsible method for restriction and prevention of disease, a school board shall hold at least 2 public hearings on the proposed revisions. The hearings shall be held at least 1 week apart and public notice of the hearings shall be given in the manner required under section 1201 for board meetings. A public hearing held pursuant to this section may be held in conjunction with a public hearing held pursuant to section 1507.

(1) The board of a school district may engage qualified instructors and provide facilities and equipment for instruction in sex education, including family planning, human sexuality, and the emotional, physical, psychological, hygienic, economic, and social aspects of family life. Instruction may also include the subjects of reproductive health and the recognition, prevention, and treatment of sexually transmitted disease. Subject to subsection (7) and section 1507b, the instruction described in this subsection shall stress that abstinence from sex is a responsible and effective method of preventing unplanned or out-of-wedlock pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease and is a positive lifestyle for unmarried young people.

(8) As used in this section, "family planning" means the use of a range of methods of fertility regulation to help individuals or couples avoid unplanned pregnancies; bring about wanted births; regulate the intervals between pregnancies; and plan the time at which births occur in relation to the age of parents. It may include the study of fetology. It may include marital and genetic information. Clinical abortion shall not be considered a method of family planning, nor shall abortion be taught as a method of reproductive health.

(1) Instruction under section 1507 in sex education and instruction under section 1169 on human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome shall emphasize that abstinence from sex is a positive lifestyle for unmarried young people because abstinence is the only protection that is 100% effective against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

(2) Material and instruction in the sex education curriculum under section 1507 that discusses sex shall be age-appropriate, shall not be medically inaccurate, and shall do at least all of the following:

(a) Discuss the benefits of abstaining from sex until marriage and the benefits of ceasing sex if a pupil is sexually active.

(b) Include a discussion of the possible emotional, economic, and legal consequences of sex.

(c) Stress that unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are serious possibilities of sex that are not fully preventable except by abstinence.

(d) Advise pupils of the laws pertaining to their responsibility as parents to children born in and out of wedlock.

(e) Ensure that pupils are not taught in a way that condones the violation of the laws of this state pertaining to sexual activity, including, but not limited to, sections 158, 335a, 338, 338a, 338b, and 520b to 520e of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.158, 750.335a, 750.338, 750.338a, 750.338b, and 750.520b to 750.520e.

(f) Teach pupils how to say "no" to sexual advances and that it is wrong to take advantage of, harass, or exploit another person sexually.

(g) Teach refusal skills and encourage pupils to resist pressure to engage in risky behavior.

(h) Teach that the pupil has the power to control personal behavior. Pupils shall be taught to base their actions on reasoning, self-discipline, a sense of responsibility, self-control, and ethical considerations such as respect for self and others.

(i) Provide instruction on healthy dating relationships and on how to set limits and recognize a dangerous environment.

(j) Provide information for pupils about how young parents can learn more about adoption services and about the provisions of the safe delivery of newborns law, chapter XII of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712.1 to 712.20.

(k) Include information clearly informing pupils that having sex or sexual contact with an individual under the age of 16 is a crime punishable by imprisonment and that 1 of the other results of being convicted of this crime is to be listed on the sex offender registry on the internet for up to 25 years.

(3) This section does not prohibit a public school from offering sex education with behavioral risk reduction strategies, as defined by law, that are not 100% effective against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Health education addresses abstinence in a list of methods of pregnancy and disease prevention.