Sexual Health Education is an important part of the BPS Comprehensive Health Education program for PreK through Grade 12. Classes are taught by qualified, trained teachers and address the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of human sexuality at a level appropriate to the age of the students. The curriculum includes education about sexual and gender identity and is inclusive of all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ+) students. The program is designed to help students maintain sexual health by developing healthy relationships, delaying sexual activity, preventing disease and pregnancy, and reducing risky sexual behaviors. 

Lessons may include these topics:

• Adolescent growth and development, including the changes throughout puberty

• How to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships

• How communicable diseases (including HIV/AIDS) are spread and how to prevent their spread 

• Health enhancing behaviors and behaviors which pose risks to good health 

• Responsible decision making, including reducing sexual health-related risk behaviors 

• Resisting negative peer pressure 

• Effective ways to say “no” to risky behaviors 

• Respecting the right to privacy of self and others.

For information about the sexual health education curricula and trainings that are provided in K-12, contact Nykia Leach, Sexual Health Education (SHE) Manager at nleach@bostonpublicschools.org. 

The Boston Public School's Condom Accessibility Policy states that every BPS high school should make free condoms available  through a Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) consisting of at least the school nurse(s), one school staff member, and one school administrator. More school staff on the CAT is always welcome! 

By having more staff on the CAT, the school increases the access points within the school where students can get condoms and sexual health referrals as well as diversifies the team so that more students may have a person on the team they feel comfortable talking to.

CATs have two main priorities:

1. Dispense free condoms to students who request them as long as the student is not on the opt-out list. 

   • • Students should get a condom packet, which contains 6 condoms and a condom use instruction booklet.

     • There is no limit to the number of condoms students can get and there is no requirement that the student speak to you first about their sexual history, etc. before getting condoms.

2. Give students sexual health referrals.

   • • Staff can help students find where to go for sexual health services, such as: pregnancy testing, birth control, STI/HIV testing, etc.

     • Y2Connect Boston can help students and school staff find local health clinics and resources.

For information about Condom Accessibility program or CATs, contact Maggie Carmona at mcarmona@bostonpublicschools.org

In Summer 2019,  Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston gave BPS School Health Services $100,000 to put towards menstrual equity in the district. The menstrual access program included 77 schools with grades 6 - 12. 

The program expects that each school will assemble a Menstrual Access Program (MAP) team. The MAP team will consist of diverse school staff who will have menstrual products available in their room/office should students needs access. The team is headed by the school nurse(s), who keeps track of the menstrual product inventory and will reach out to School Health Services when products need to be reordered. 

For information about the BPS Menstrual Access Program, please contact Maggie Carmona at mcarmona@bostonpublicschools.org

The BPS Expectant and Parenting Student Policy aims to support the dignity and self-determination of young people who are expectant or parenting to ensure they are academically successful.

The policy is inclusive of all gender identities and partners of students who are expectant. 

Per the policy, each school with grades 6 - 12 is expected to appoint a school staff member to serve as the Expectant and Parenting Student Policy Liaison. This person should know and understand the policy, and communicate the policy to school staff and the greater school community. The name of the liaison should be posted in the school and on the school website.