State Sex Education Policies and Requirements at a Glance
While some sex education is currently required by proxy in Kentucky through their health education standards, it is not required to be medically accurate or include instruction on consent.
- Kentucky schools are required to teach sex education as a part of their health education.
- Curriculum is not required to include instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent.
- Kentucky now requires written parental consent prior to students receiving sex education in sixth grade and up.
- Kentucky has no regulation regarding medically accurate sex education instruction.
State Law
Kentucky Revised Statute 156:160 requires that the Kentucky Board of Education “promulgate administrative regulations establishing standards [that public] school districts shall meet.” With that authority, 704 KAR 3:305 was promulgated, requiring students to take 0.5 credits of health education in order to graduate. It also requires the health education course to include the content standards delineated in the Kentucky Core Academic Standards. Furthermore, 704 KAR 3:303 adopted the Kentucky Academic Standards into law.
In 2018, Kentucky enacted Chapter 156, stating that any human sexuality or STD curricula must include instruction on abstinence, state that “abstinence from sexual activity is the desirable goal for all school-age children,” and advocate for “permanent mutually faithful monogamous relationship[s].”
In 2023, Kentucky enacted Chapter 132, which states that any instruction in human sexuality cannot occur in grades five and below. The law also prohibits any instruction, regardless of grade level, that includes content on gender identity, expression, and/or sexual orientation.
Due to the enactment of Senate Bill 150, Kentucky statute requires parental permission for students to participate in sexuality or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related instruction. This constitutes an “opt-in” policy.
State Profiles provided by SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change. For more information regarding your state’s sex ed policy, visit hhttps://siecus.org/state_profile/kentucky-state-profile-23/
