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Under Governor George Bush, Texas was the first state to adopt the 8-point definition of abstinence-only education, even before it became federal law, yet Texas has among the worst statistics on teen birth and condom use in the nation.
Because of its very large student population and huge book orders, publishers tailor textbooks to Texas standards. This means that Texas sex ed law has the potential to affect every student in America. For this reason, it is especially important to work toward improving sex education laws in Texas. Get the facts about the reproductive and sexual health of Texas's young people.
Sex Education Policy
Texas does not require sex education in schools. However, if sex ed is taught, it must closely track with the 8-point federal definition of abstinence-only education. See the statutes governing sex education: Texas Education Code Sections 28.004 and 26.010.
Health Outcomes
Texas has among the worst teen pregnancy rates in the nation; its students were less likely to report using condoms the last time they had sex.
Sexual Health Stats at a Glance
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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 |
| Texas |
88 |
60.7 |
10.7 |
128.3 |
42 |
| 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.
Advocates' Partner Organizations
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