Indiana schools are not required to teach sex education — but if they do, a new law outlines exactly what must be included and how the material is shared with families.
The legislation – signed by Gov. Mike Braun this month – requires school boards and the governing authorities of charter schools and accredited private schools to review and approve all curriculum related to human sexuality before it can be taught.
The law reflects the growing influence of the parental rights movement and reshapes how schools teach sensitive topics like consent, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
The bill’s author, Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville), said he didn’t want to “force” anything at the state level. But Byrne wanted to give teachers direction because there’s no **statewide** standards on sex education.
“This is a subject where teachers and parents have reached out to me with concerns,” Byrne said in January when introducing the bill. “We all know conversations on sex ed are more sensitive than other subjects because families have different values and different ideals about what is appropriate to talk about and when it’s appropriate to talk to their child or to hear about it.”
Only students in grades 4-12 are allowed to receive instruction about human sexuality. Here’s what parents and students need to know about updates to the sex education law.
Parents will receive more information about sex ed
The new law requires all parts of the sex education instruction **to** be shared online for parents **and** students to read. Books and materials used in the classroom must also be approved by the district’s school board and posted online.
Parents must already opt their children into the instruction through a consent process. Schools must now provide details on the gender of the instructor and if the class will be co-ed.
Byrne said this helps parents “better decide” if they want their child to opt out **of** the instruction.
Abstinence is still the standard
The law keeps Indiana’s **long-standing** emphasis on abstinence-only education. Teachers are told to tell students that the only “certain way” to avoid pregnancy,
**sexually** transmitted infections and other health problems is to abstain from sex.
The only exception to this rule is if they are in a “faithful monogamous relationship” established by marriage.
Students also learn specifically about different STIs and HIV and AIDS.
Schools will now teach about consent
For the first time, Indiana law will require sex education courses to include instruction on consent.
Although the state requires abstinence-only instruction, consent to sexual activity emerged as a shift for the state’s firm, marriage-focused sex education curriculum.
During the final days of the legislative session, the topic of consent was nearly wiped from the bill in favor of school boards deciding if they want the topic discussed.
But pushback from Democrats and some members of the public led to the reversal.
Indiana is one of 42 states that currently stresses abstinence, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff (D-Terre Haute), who proposed that consent be addressed in instruction, challenged Byrne on removing the state mandate. She said it protects youth.
“I don’t understand how we could possibly not agree to teach that as part of human sexuality,” Pfaff said last month. “It protects both boy and girl, man and woman. We are talking about teenagers that sometimes don’t learn that they can say no.”
Videos of fetal development, fertilization
A new and controversial requirement in the law directs schools to show a **high-definition** ultrasound video if they teach about human growth and development during pregnancy.
The video of early fetal development in the uterus is required to be “medically accurate and age appropriate” under the latest directive.
Instructors will also be required to display a **computer-generated** rendering or animation showing fertilization **and** then every stage of fetal development until birth.
Advocates, like Indiana’s American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed concern that this push for a video is tied to anti-abortion rhetoric brought forward by groups who are against the procedure.
Videos that can be used during instruction can be found on YouTube and other sources, Byrne told lawmakers. He said that he did not have a specific one in mind for the requirement.
School boards get to make that call.
What is ‘age-appropriate’ sex education?
Age-appropriate is not defined in state law**;** rather, it was added as a precursor for instruction on consent and human development. The law only describes that school-aged children will receive specific instruction.
A 2023 law banned prekindergarten through third grade from learning about sex at school. The law also required that parents be notified when their child wants to use another name or pronouns.
Other states have embraced comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education **for** students in elementary school.
Sex education not inclusive of LGBTQ+ students
Comprehensive sex education should not only include instruction about anatomy and sexual development but also body image, gender identity and sexual orientation, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Indiana does not require or promote instruction that includes information about sexual orientation, gender identity or LGBTQ+ health. Some states, such as California and Washington, do.
What happens next?
Senate Enrolled Act 442 goes into action on July 1. Schools are expected to make these changes to instruction for the 2025–26 academic year.
School boards who oversee these district schools will likely weigh in at some point to select the plans on teaching sex. They still have the **choice** to not allow instruction about it at all.
Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.