The following comes from a January 13 KQED article by Ana Tintocalis:

A new state law in effect this year requires all California public school students to take sex education beginning in seventh grade.

For years, sex education has been optional. If parents wanted their children to take a sexual health class, they had to sign up for the instruction.

Parents who don’t want their kids to learn about issues like body image, contraception and HIV awareness and prevention will have to formally opt out by submitting a document to their school or district.

The law, called the California Healthy Youth Act, attempts to standardize and update sex education in the state, which also now must include gender identity.

California is also the first state in the nation where high school students will now learn about affirmative consent, known as “Yes means Yes.”