Ron DeSantis bans Florida’s sex ed classes from mentioning anatomy & contraceptives

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation.

The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) has mandated that local school districts submit their sex education plans for state approval. According to the FLDOE, these classes must focus on promoting abstinence and are prohibited from discussing contraception or displaying images of reproductive health organs.

This shift in policy strips local districts of their autonomy over sex education classes and materials.

Florida law has long required that sex education lessons for grades 6 through 12 highlight the “benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard” and address the consequences of teenage pregnancy. However, the new regulations eliminate any local authority regarding supplementary information that districts may wish to provide their students.

A memo from Broward County administrators, obtained by The Orlando Sentinel, summarized discussions with state officials about the state’s control over sex education. Notably, no written guidelines were given to the districts.

State officials conveyed that “pictures of external sexual/reproductive anatomy should not be included in any grade level.” While they noted that contraception could be referenced as a “health resource,” they specified that “pictures, activities, or demonstrations illustrating their use should not be included in instruction at any grade level.” Furthermore, discussions on “different types of sex (i.e., anal, oral, and vaginal) cannot be part of instruction in any grade level,” according to the Broward memo.

Previously, Orange County schools introduced sex education in 5th grade, focusing on the physical changes of puberty, while high school students engaged in discussions about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Now, any additional curriculum must receive state approval, which may lead to the cancellation of sex education classes until the state addresses the districts’ plans.

Elissa Barr, a public health professor at the University of North Florida and a member of the advocacy group Florida Healthy Youth Alliance, has been in contact with local school officials to compile a list of terms they’ve been instructed to omit from their reproductive health plans. This list includes words like abuse, consent, domestic violence, fluids, gender identity, and LGBTQ-related content.

Barr pointed out that excluding the term “fluids” complicates discussions about HIV transmission, as it can spread through blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids. “That’s science,” she remarked.

Officials from the Orange school district received clear instructions: discard their current plans and adhere strictly to the state-adopted textbook. The district stated, “The FDOE strongly recommended the district utilize the state-adopted text.”

This state textbook emphasizes abstinence as the only effective means to prevent STDs and pregnancy, omitting any mention of contraception. It also advises students to participate in group activities instead of spending time alone with a date.