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The California Healthy Youth Act: A Policy Analysis On California's Comprehensive Sex Education Mandate, Rae Chelle D. Gabriel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The California Healthy Youth Act is the policy that mandates California public schools to implement comprehensive sex education in middle and high school. Since its enactment in 2016, sexually transmitted infections have reached its highest rates with young people accounting for half of all new cases. Likewise, teen dating violence and sexual violence (including sex trafficking) continue to burden adolescents, especially among minorities. Policy enhancements are recommended to bridge the gaps in implementation to ensure compliance and sustainability of the policy.

Methods: A policy analysis was conducted using Bardach’s 8-fold path and a SWOT analysis. Data was gathered through …