Connecticut State of Sex Ed
Current Requirement: Sex education is not required, but HIV/AIDS education is in Connecticut schools.
- Connecticut schools are not required to teach sex education, also known as family life education. However, they must provide health education, which includes instruction on “human growth and development” and “disease prevention,” including required instruction on HIV/AIDS.
- Connecticut has no law regarding instruction on abstinence.
- Connecticut has no statute regarding medically accurate sex education instruction.
- Curriculum is not required to include instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation.
- Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent.
- Parents or guardians can remove their children from sex education and HIV/AIDS education with written notification. This is called an “opt-out” policy.
*In 2026, the overall grade of this state changed slightly from 2025 as a result of a change in our grading methodology. For more information on grading methodology, see the Executive Summary on the State Profiles webpage.
Recent Legislation Shaping the State Landscape
Advocates continue to call out the need for sex education to be required in Connecticut schools; however, SIECUS has not observed any progressive sex education legislation introduced in the past few years.
Instead, the 2025 legislative session saw the introduction of restrictive legislation such as Senate Bill 578, which would have reframed family life education by centering marriage, similar to abstinence-until-marriage rhetoric, and requiring curriculum to be reviewed every five years to ensure alignment with “contemporary community standards”, reaffirming local control over sex education, which perpetuates gaps in the education Connecticut youth receive about their bodies and relationships. Thankfully, this legislation failed.
Advocates in Action
Advocates can take action to ensure young people in Connecticut have access to quality sex education. Advocates can also contact their local school board to determine what kind of sex education is being taught, if any. They can then voice the need to strengthen instruction requirements in their community.
Advocates can also contact their representatives to discuss the critical need for a statewide sex education mandate in Connecticut. Advocates are encouraged to use the Community Action Toolkit to strengthen local organizing efforts. For additional guidance, advocates can contact the SIECUS Policy team by emailing [email protected] or join the Sexuality Education Policy Action Council (SEPAC) using our interest form.
More on Sex Ed in Connecticut…
State Law: A Closer Look
Connecticut state law does not require schools to teach sex education. Still, Connecticut General Statutes §§ 164-10-16(b)–(f) do require schools to teach “human growth and development” and “disease prevention” via health education. Connecticut law also states: “Each local and regional board of education shall offer during the regular school day planned, ongoing and systematic instruction on acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS], as taught by legally qualified teachers.” According to Sec. 10-16c., The Connecticut State Board of Education is charged with developing family life education curriculum guidelines that “shall include, but not be limited to, information on developing a curriculum including family planning; human sexuality; parenting; nutrition; and the emotional, physical, psychological, hygienic, economic and social aspects of family life, provided the curriculum guides shall not include information about abortion as an alternative to family planning.” However, Connecticut statute also states that the decision to instruct family life education must be left to the discretion of local or regional boards of education (Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 10-16d).
Parents or guardians may remove their children from sex education and/or HIV/AIDS education classes with written notification. This is called an “opt-out” policy.
State Standards
The Healthy and Balanced Living Curriculum Framework guides health education, including sexual health education in Connecticut. This 81-page document includes STI prevention, contraception, anatomy, puberty, healthy relationships, and more. These guidelines are not required by law and are intended as recommendations for Connecticut schools.
Youth Sexual Health Data
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) tracks adolescent health behaviors, including sexual health behaviors. To learn more about Connecticut’s 2023 YRBS results, click here. The CDC’s School Health Profiles measure school health policies, practices, and the sexual health topics taught in schools. To view Connecticut’s results from the 2024 School Health Profiles Survey, visit CDC’s School Health Profiles Explorer tool. Visit the CDC’s School Health Profiles for additional information on school health policies and practices.
The quality of sex education taught often reflects funding available for sex education programs. To learn more about federal funding streams, click here.