Hawaii state middle and high schools are required to provide Sexual Health Education that follow the requirements set forth in the following state laws and policies as stated on the following website:

https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/TeachingAndLearning/HealthAndNutrition/sexed/Pages/default.aspx

POLICY 103-5 SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION

In order to help students make decisions that promote healthy behaviors, the Department of Education shall provide sexual health education to include age appropriate, medically accurate, health education that: (1) Includes education on abstinence, contraception, and methods of infection prevention to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, including human immunodeficiency virus; (2) Helps students develop relationships and communication skills to form healthy relationships that are based on mutual respect and affection and are free from violence, coercion and intimidation; (3) Helps students develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and stress management to make healthy decisions about sexuality and relationships; (4) Encourages student to communicate with their parents, guardians and/or other trusted adults about sexuality; and (5) Informs students of available community resources. Instruction will emphasize that abstention from sexual intercourse is the surest way to prevent unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS, and consequent emotional distress.

A description of the curriculum utilized by the school shall be made available to parents and shall be posted on the school’s website prior to the start of any instruction. A student shall be excused from sexual health instruction only upon the prior written request of the student’s parent or legal guardian. A student may not be subject to disciplinary action, academic penalty or other sanction if the student’s parent or legal guardian makes such written request. [Approved: 6/16/2015 (as Board Policy 103.5); amended: 06/21/2016 (renumbered as Board Policy 103-5)] Former policy 2110 history: approved: 9/1995

At King Kekaulike High School we are utilizing one of the instructional materials that was recommended, called FLASH (Family Life and Sexual Health), which was reviewed by the Hawaii State Department of Education’s (HIDOE) Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design and the Health Education Resource Development Group (HERDG) in 2020- 2021.

FLASH lessons are evidence-informed and adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum. The lessons prepare students to do the following: ● successfully navigate puberty; ● abstain from sex; ● use condoms and birth control when they do have sex; ● confirm consent before engaging in sexual activity; ● report sexual abuse and assault; ● communicate with their family about sexual health and dating; ● make decisions that minimize risk to their sexual health; and ● seek medical care to take care of their reproductive health. FLASH is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Lessons include a variety of strategies designed to create positive attitudes, beliefs, and norms and build skills to reduce pregnancy rates, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual violence. FLASH includes a strong family-involvement component to further increase protective factors that support students in abstaining from sexual activity, using birth control and condoms, and respecting others' decisions not to have sex. FLASH supports and respects diverse community values through its inclusive design, the Values Question Protocol, and the Family Homework, which encourages family discussions about values. The general description of the curriculum was adapted from information provided on the publisher’s website. Reference Public Health - Seattle & King County. (2021). FLASH. Retrieved from http://www.kingcounty.gov/health/FLASH.

Opt-Out Process For information about sexual health education and the opt-out process, visit https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/TeachingAndLearning/HealthAndNutrition/sexed. For information about controversial issues and the opt-out process, visit https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/FAQ/Pages/Parent-opt-out-for-child.aspx