CURRENT MN SEX ED STANDARDS

State Sex Education Policies

Minnesota schools are required to teach sex education.
Curriculum is not required to be comprehensive.
Curriculum must include instruction that helps students abstain from sexual activity until marriage.
Curriculum is not required to include instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent.
Curriculum must be available for parental review. Parents or guardians may remove their children from instruction if they object to the content. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
Minnesota has no standard regarding medically accurate sex education. However, curriculum is required to be “technically accurate.”

State Standards

Minnesota’s National Health Education Standards and Minnesota Benchmarks provide guidance for local school district curriculum development.

The standards do not mention contraception or condoms, but briefly mention HIV transmission and unintended pregnancy.

School Health Profiles Data

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 20 sexual health education topics as critical for ensuring a young person’s sexual health. Below are key instruction highlights for secondary schools in Minnesota as reported for the 2017–2018 school year.

Reported teaching all 20 critical sexual health education topics

15.1% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students all 20 critical sexual health education topics in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
42% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students all 20 critical sexual health education topics in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported teaching about the benefits of being sexually abstinent

78.9% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about the benefits of being sexually abstinent in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
94.1% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about the benefits of being sexually abstinent in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported teaching how to correctly use a condom

27.6% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students how to correctly use a condom in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
62.1% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students how to correctly use a condom in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported teaching about methods of contraception other than condoms

42.6% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about methods of contraception other than condoms in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
82.5% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about methods of contraception other than condoms in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported teaching about sexual orientation

31.4% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about sexual orientation in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
58.3% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about sexual orientation in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported teaching about gender roles, gender identity, or gender expression

35.2% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about gender roles, gender identity, or gender expression in a required course in any of grades 6, 7, or 8.
62% of Minnesota secondary schools taught students about gender roles, gender identity, or gender expression in a required course in any of grades 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Reported providing curricula or supplementary materials relevant to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) youth

52.4% of Minnesota secondary schools provided students with curricula or supplementary materials that included HIV, STD, or pregnancy prevention information relevant to LGBTQ youth.

(SIECUS, 2021c)