California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA)

Overview of the California Healthy Youth Act

In 2016, California state law instituted the California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA), requiring that comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education be provided to students at least once in middle school and in high school, starting in grade 7. CHYA instruction must encourage students to communicate with parents, guardians, or other trusted adults about human sexuality. Instruction must be medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive of all students.

CHYA Curriculum Requirements for Grades 7 and 8

The curriculum must include the following:

Information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including transmission, FDA-approved methods to prevent HIV and STIs, and treatment.
Information that abstinence is the only certain way to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV and other STIs, and information about the value of delaying sexual activity.
Discussion about social views of HIV and AIDS.
Information about accessing resources for sexual and reproductive health care.
Information about pregnancy, including FDA-approved prevention methods, pregnancy outcomes, prenatal care, and the newborn safe surrender law.
Information about sexual orientation and gender, including the harm of negative gender stereotypes.
Information about healthy relationships and avoiding unhealthy behaviors and situations.

Instructional Implementation

Instructional content is split among grades 7 and 8 and taught in the core science class. The instructional units are planned for the end of the year following State Testing, and students have grown a year of maturity in the current grade. In addition, end-of-year instruction supports 8th-grade students preparing to attend high school and to take biology in 9th grade.

Specifically, 7th grade focuses on body awareness and healthy relationships, while 8th grade layers depth of personal health safety, physical education, and social awareness. Instruction encourages students to communicate with parents/guardians or other trusted adults about human sexuality. Instruction is medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive for all students. Our science teachers are very skilled at crafting conversations for Middle School students and are confident that the units flow with the course of study throughout this year.

Grade Level Content Links & Lesson Plans

Seventh Grade Content Lessons 1-4 (Open Document)

Introduction
Understanding our Bodies
Exploring Friendships
Bullying and Relationship Abuse

Eighth Grade Content Lessons 5-14 (Open Document)

5. Human Trafficking
6. Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy
7. Teen Pregnancy
8. Preventing STIs
9 - 12: HIV Education and Awareness
13. Media and Peer Pressure
14. Goals