By: Journalist Andrea Gooden (ORU)
The Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature has introduced House Bill No. NWOSU-503, titled the “Comprehensive Sex Education Act of 2024.”
This bill mandates comprehensive sex education for all students in grades 5-12 in Oklahoma public and charter schools.
It aims to provide students with medically accurate, age-appropriate instruction while enforcing compliance with penalties for schools that fail to meet the requirements.
The proposed curriculum outlines distinct topics for different grade levels. For students in grades 5 through 8, lessons focus on puberty, the human body and its systems, menstruation, pregnancy and the concept of consent. For high school students in grades 9-12, the curriculum expands to include sexually transmitted infections (STIs), methods of contraception like diaphragms and IUDs, and reproductive health disorders such as endometriosis.
The curriculum also incorporates skills-based learning, such as negotiation and communication about consent and boundaries, as well as an understanding of rights related to sexual health.
The bill emphasizes providing factual and medically accurate information, requiring schools to ensure consistency across districts. It also imposes a $500 fine per school year for each school that fails to offer the required education. Fines collected would be allocated to the Oklahoma Department of Education to fund sex education resources for underfunded schools.
This approach reflects efforts seen in other states. For example, California’s comprehensive sex education law, implemented in 2016, mandates medically accurate and inclusive instruction. Reports indicate it has improved student awareness of sexual health and reduced misconceptions about topics like consent and contraception.
However, some states with less comprehensive laws, such as abstinence-only programs in Mississippi, have faced criticism for not effectively addressing STI rates or teen pregnancy, which remain higher than the national average. These comparisons suggest that Oklahoma’s move toward a broader curriculum may have the potential to yield better health outcomes, though its strict penalties for noncompliance could face pushback.
This legislation aims to bridge gaps in student knowledge and equip young people with tools for understanding their health and navigating complex social situations.
The bill passed in the House with a vote of 55 in the affirmative to 18 in the negative. Today, it failed in the Senate with a vote of 7 in the affirmative and 12 in the negative.