Sex Education in the Public Schools and the Accommodation of Familial Rights

By survey conducted among the state departments of education, this article provides a synopsis of sex education, family life, and HIV/AIDS awareness programs in the Nation's public schools. The survey pays particular attention to the availability of opt-in or opt-out procedures and other programmatic features that give parents a degree of choice as to whether and how their children should take part.The article notes the significant public demand for sex education programs in the schools, discusses the types of programs currently provided; considers the effectiveness of comprehensive versus abstinence-based programs; assesses surveys of parental preferences; evaluates the extent to which parental preferences are currently accommodated; and discusses the constitutional and legal limits of state authority and parental rights.