Outline of the state of Rhode Island
State
Rhode Island
Requires medically-accurate comprehensive sex education

Category
Sexual Health Education General—HS

Category
Sexual Health Education General—HS

State law requires teaching comprehensive sex education, medically-accurate sex education, or otherwise addresses all elements of comprehensive sex education as defined by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

200-RICR-20-10-1.2.1 A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

  1. Each LEA shall ensure that the coherent and coordinated K-12 curriculum for health includes a. Instruction in all content areas: personal health, mental and emotional health, injury prevention (including violence prevention), nutrition, sexuality and family life, disease prevention and control, and substance use and abuse prevention - including specific topic areas required by state statute; b. An emphasis on developing the key skills (i.e., accessing information and services, analyzing social influences on health, assessing personal risks, goal-setting, decision making, communication, negotiation, and advocacy) that cut across all health content areas and on practicing health-enhancing behaviors; c. Sequential, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate instruction K-12; d. Medically accurate information; and e. Compliance with statutory requirements for instructional time as well as with other requirements in the Rules and Regulations for School Health Programs.
Policy Type
Regulation

216-RICR-20-10-4.7 Mandated Health Instructional Outcomes

  1. Family Life and Sexuality: responsibilities of family membership and adulthood, issues related to reproduction, abstinence, dating and dating violence, marriage, parenthood, information about sexually transmitted diseases, sexuality and sexual orientation, as part of comprehensive sexuality education pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-22-18.
  2. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)/AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome): the causes, effects, treatment, and prevention, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-22-17.
Policy Type
Regulation

State of Rhode Island General Laws § 16-22-17 AIDS education program.

a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall, pursuant to rules promulgated by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education and the director of the department of health, establish comprehensive AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) instruction, which shall provide students with accurate information and instruction on AIDS transmission and prevention, and which course shall also address abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred means of prevention, as a basic education program requirement.

Policy Type
Statute

State of Rhode Island General Laws § 16-22-18 Health and family life courses.

(a)Every secondary school teaching courses in family life or sex education within this state shall include, as part of the course instruction, abstinence from sexual activity and refraining from sexual intercourse as the preferred method of pregnancy prevention and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Provided further, part of the course instruction may incorporate age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the law and meaning of consent. Such age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual violence may include instruction that increases student awareness of the fact that consent is required before sexual activity

Policy Type
Statute