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Tennessee law states that schools which offer sex education must primarily emphasize abstinence. This type of “sex education” is required for school districts which have high teen pregnancy rates.
Sex Education Policy
Tennessee does not require sex education for its students, but if taught, programs must meet strict requirements which include emphasizing abstinence-until-marriage. The statutes governing sex education are Tennessee Code Sections 49-6-1005, 49-6-1008, 49-6-1301, 49-6-1302, and 49-6-1303.
Health Outcomes
Tennessee a lower AIDS rate than the national rate, but teen pregnancy and STI rates higher than average. Its high school students were less likely than students nationwide to report having used condoms the last time they had sex.
Sexual Health Stats at a Glance
|
Teen Pregnancy Rate* |
Teen Birth Rate* |
Annual rate of AIDS Diagnoses (per 100,000 people) |
STI Rate+ |
% of high school students who did not use a condom at last sex |
| Tennessee |
79 |
50.6 |
11.1 |
113.1 |
41 |
| National |
70 |
39.1
|
11.2 |
100.8 |
39 |
*Per 1000 young women ages 15-19
+Because of concern over recent changes in Chlamydia reporting and relative low incidence of syphilis, we used the state's gonorrhea rate as a stand-in for sexually transmitted infection rates.
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