                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION (§ 22.1-207.1)

A. As used in this section, &#8220;abstinence education&#8221; means an
educational or motivational component that has as its exclusive purpose teaching
the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by teenagers&#8217;
abstaining from sexual activity before marriage.

B. The Board of Education shall develop Standards of Learning and curriculum
guidelines for a comprehensive, sequential family life education curriculum in
grades kindergarten through 12. Such curriculum guidelines shall include
instruction as appropriate for the age of the student in family living and
community relationships; the benefits, challenges, responsibilities, and value
of marriage for men, women, children, and communities; the value of family
relationships; abstinence education; the value of postponing sexual activity;
the benefits of adoption as a positive choice in the event of an unwanted
pregnancy; human sexuality; human reproduction; the prevention of human
trafficking, including the human trafficking of children; dating violence, the
characteristics of abusive relationships, steps to take to deter sexual assault,
the availability of counseling and legal resources, and, in the event of such
sexual assault, the importance of immediate medical attention and advice, as
well as the requirements of the law; the etiology, prevention, and effects of
sexually transmitted diseases; and mental health education and awareness.

C. All such instruction shall be designed to promote parental involvement,
foster positive self-concepts, and provide mechanisms for coping with peer
pressure and the stresses of modern living according to the students&#8217;
developmental stages and abilities. The Board shall also establish requirements
for appropriate training for teachers of family life education, which shall
include training in instructional elements to support the various curriculum
components.

D. Each school board shall conduct a review of its family life education
curricula at least once every seven years, shall evaluate whether such curricula
reflect contemporary community standards, and shall revise such curricula if
necessary.

HISTORY: 1987, c. 371; 1999, c. 422; 2002, c. 554; 2004, c. 1030; 2007, c. 32;
2008, c. 417; 2009, cc. 437, 583; 2017, c. 692; 2019, c. 595; 2020, c. 687;
2022, c. 459.