NBC Boston reviews unanimous approval of updates to Massachusetts well being and intercourse training

Massachusetts college students will now obtain a extra inclusive intercourse and well being training, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Schooling. These up to date curriculum frameworks intention to cowl a variety of subjects together with LGBTQ+ points, bodily autonomy, psychological and emotional well being, courting security, vitamin, sexually transmitted infections, and consent. That is the primary replace to the rules since 1999.

The brand new requirements are categorized into 4 age teams: pre-Ok via second grade, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. For the youngest college students, the main target is on wholesome consuming, stress administration, hygiene habits, emergency response, selling respect, bullying prevention, and the significance of taking medicine when prescribed.

As college students progress via their training, the rules embrace modules on intercourse training, wholesome relationships, gender id, substance abuse, human and intercourse trafficking consciousness, and evidence-based bodily training strategies.

This determination by the Board of Schooling follows a public remark interval over the summer season, throughout which the Division of Elementary and Secondary Schooling obtained practically 5,400 feedback. The proposal to replace the state’s intercourse training tips was initially introduced by Governor Maura Healey in June, aligning with earlier laws makes an attempt that had failed within the Massachusetts Home.

Whereas the Senate has beforehand handed the “Wholesome Youth Act” geared toward updating intercourse training, complete payments addressing human anatomy, sexually transmitted illnesses, HIV and AIDS, contraception, courting violence, and gender and sexual id repeatedly didn’t cross within the Home.