Sex Ed To Become Mandatory For Most Middle, High School Students In California

(KCBS) -- Sexual health education is about to become mandatory in California under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The law will become mandatory on Jan. 1, 2016 and affect public school students in grades 7 through 12.

The comprehensive sex education law will combine information about HIV prevention which is already mandatory with sexual health education.

"It's not just about the birds and the bees," said Dr. Claire D. Brindis, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "There's so much misinformation out there. Many young people across the state have not had access to reliable, accurate and comprehensive family life education in the past. The new law helps to make it a requirement."

Brindis said middle schools will have the option of focusing on ways to abstain from sexual activity because of the younger age group.

And under the law, parents will have the option of excusing their child from the instruction altogether.