Sex ed Rights

• Alabama law doesn’t require comprehensive sex ed to be taught in schools. Instead, each school’s local school board decides whether sex ed will be taught and which specific topics will be covered. General topics are determined by Alabama code. (A “code” is like a law.)
• If sex ed is taught, the curriculum must emphasize abstinence.
• If sex ed is taught, abstinence must be covered and stressed as the only completely effective protection against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS (when it’s been transmitted sexually). Alabama also requires that classes about reproduction teach that the accepted social standard is “abstinence from sexual intercourse outside of lawful marriage.” In other words, Alabama requires that sex ed classes teach that sex outside of marriage is not OK.
• Classes must emphasize that “homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public.” Alabama is one of eight states that use this stigmatizing language in sex ed guidelines.
• In Alabama, parents can choose to remove their children from sex education classes.
• If you want your school to offer a comprehensive sex ed classes, be sure to learn more at SIECUS about your state. You can make a difference!

HIV/AIDS and Other STI Education

• Alabama requires students in grades 5-12 receive health education about HIV and AIDS, and it must be age appropriate.
• When sex ed is taught, statistics about how reliable different contraceptives are, such as condoms, or the Pill, must be included but do not need to be stressed.
• You do not need your parents’ permission to participate in sex ed or HIV/AIDS education classes, but your parents can take you out of the classes if they wish to in accordance with the op-out policy.

Age of Minority

18

• In Alabama, you are considered a “minor” (someone who is not an adult) if you are under 19 years old. Being considered a minor affects your right to information and services. In most states, the age you become an adult (under the law) is 18. Alabama is one of three states that puts this age above 18.
• Keep in mind that these laws may be different for you if you are legally considered an emancipated minor, pregnant minor, minor living apart or married minor.

Age of Consent

16

• Legally, people can’t consent (or agree) to sex (with someone who is considered an adult) until they reach a specific age. This is called the “age of consent.” These laws are meant to protect minors from being manipulated or forced into sex with older people.
• Keep in mind that the laws may be different depending on the type of sexual behavior—vaginal, anal or oral—and the gender of your partner.
• In Alabama, a teen can legally consent to sex as of the age of 16 and anyone under 12 is unable to give consent regardless of the age of the other person. There are exceptions, though:
  • Sex with someone who is older than 12 and under 16 is not considered rape if one of the two partners is less than two years older than the other. For example, if one partner is 16 and the other is 15, legal consent is possible.

LGBTQ Rights

• While state law provides protection against bullying in general, laws do not clearly include protection against bullying focused on a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity specifically. In fact, Alabama has a law in place that restricts educators from discussing LGBTQ+ issues.
• Also, laws that protect public school students do not clearly apply to private, non-religious schools.
• If discrimination, harassment or a hate crime happens to you or someone you know, please call the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline at 1-888-THE-GLNH (843-4564), or check out Lambda Legal. No one deserves harassment or should have to put up with it.

HIV / AIDS Testing

• Anyone 12 years old or older doesn’t need permission from their parent or guardian to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) and HIV in your state, or receive treatment for it. However, the physician is allowed (but not legally required) to discuss this with your parents.
• If you are a minor, it is very important for you to ask questions about confidentiality when you call to make your appointment. Specifically ask, “If I make an appointment and receive any kind of services at your clinic, will you tell my parents or anyone else?” This applies to all services, including testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
• To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you about test results and future appointments without your parents knowing.
• Your state offers only confidential HIV testing, not anonymous testing. This means that if you get tested for HIV, your results will be confidentially reported to the health department using your name.
• Find an HIV testing site in your area here or call the Centers for Disease Control’s 24-hour National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).

Condoms

• People of any age, including teens, can buy condoms from a drugstore, pharmacy, grocery store or even online. A 12-pack of condoms costs about $9-12. Internal (or female) condoms are about $2-4 per condom. Many groceries and pharmacies don’t carry internal/female condoms, but they can be found online, at Planned Parenthood, at family planning clinics and by prescription.
• You can get condoms for free or at a reduced cost from health clinics (like Planned Parenthood), HIV testing centers and local health departments. Call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) for the nearest Planned Parenthood.
• Always check the expiration date on condoms to make sure that the condoms haven’t expired yet. For information on how to use a condom correctly, check out this FAQ. Learn all about internal/female condoms on Sexetc.org.
• In Alabama, minors who are 14 years old or older or have graduated from high school do not need their parent’s consent to receive all healthcare services, including vaccinations.
• A minor of any age who has graduated from high school, or is married, or has been married and is divorced or is pregnant can consent to vaccines.
• Alabama state laws allow for minors to consent to a range of services related to diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This interpretation is consistent with Alabama’s designation of HIV as an STI by the Alabama State Board of Health. Alabama’s statutes do not mention PrEP or biomedical prevention specifically, so it is arguable whether the statute applies to PrEP.
• Under Alabama law, providers may, but are not required to, inform parents or guardians if a minor seeks diagnoses or treatment for sexually transmitted infections or HIV.
• Alabama does not have a statute indicating whether a minor’s parent or guardian may receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) without the minor’s authorization.

Birth Control

• A minor can get a prescription for contraception without a parent’s permission under one or more of the following situations. The minor:
  • is 14 years or older
  • is a high school graduate
  • is married
  • is a parent
  • is/has ever been pregnant
• All other minors must get a parent’s permission to receive a prescription for contraception.
• Clinics called “Title X clinics”—pronounced “title ten”—provide sexual and reproductive health care to both teens and adults. Title X clinics offer many services, including prescriptions for the Pill, pregnancy option counseling and testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
• If you go to a Title X clinic, your appointment will be completely confidential.
• These clinics charge on what’s called a sliding-scale fee basis, which means they help you pay what you can afford, and you can pay in cash. If you pay for your visit by using your family’s health insurance, then your parents are likely to see the bill when it arrives in the mail.
• To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you about test results and future appointments without your parents knowing.
• You can call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) for the nearest Planned Parenthood.
• Or use this tool to find a Title X clinic near you:
• When you make an appointment for health care, ask about confidentiality rules. When you call, ask:
• If you go to a private doctor or physician, then you need to ask them about their confidentiality rules when you are making the appointment. Ask them when you call:
  • Can I get services at your office without my parents’ permission?
  • Can my parent/s have access to my records?
  • Will my parent/s see the bill?
• It is your right to get sexual and reproductive health care where you feel safe and comfortable, so don’t worry about asking these questions if these questions are important to you.

Abortion Access

• Abortion is illegal in Alabama and has very limited exceptions for when it is allowed. The state constitution excludes abortion rights. The abortions that are allowed can only be performed if the pregnant person’s life is at risk or to prevent serious risk to the pregnant person’s physical health.
• Alabama no longer provides Medicaid coverage for most abortions, except in limited circumstances. Medicaid can be used in cases of rape, incest and life endangerment. If you need help paying for an abortion, call the National Abortion Federation Hotline at 1-800-772-9100, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). The hotline can tell you where and how to get financial help for an abortion in the U.S. Also, The Dr. Willie Parker Fund for Abortion Access In The South provides funding to abortion seekers in Mississippi and Alabama.
• In Alabama, if you are under 18 years old and want an abortion, one parent must give permission before you can get one. This is called “parental consent.” If that’s not possible or you don’t want to share this decision with a parent, you are able to ask a judge for permission. This is called “judicial bypass.”
• There is a 48-hour mandatory waiting period, after initial counseling, before a teen can get an abortion. So to get an abortion in Alabama, you have to go to at least two appointments—one for the initial counseling and one for the actual abortion. Additionally, medication abortion must be given in person because the state bans the use of telehealth or mailing pills, and requires an in-person visit.

Adoption

• To learn about the process of adoption and the services available, visit the National Council for Adoption.

Pregnancy

• You do not need a prescription from a doctor or health care provider to get a pregnancy test. You can purchase a pregnancy test from a pharmacy, grocery store or online. They cost between $10 and $18. You can also take a pregnancy test at a doctor’s office or clinic, like Planned Parenthood. Many clinics offer free or reduced-cost pregnancy tests.
• All visits to clinics known as Title X (ten) clinics are confidential for teens and adults.
• Use this tool to find a Title X clinic near you:

• Or call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) for the nearest Planned Parenthood.
• If you pay for your visit by using your family’s health insurance, your parents are likely to see the details of your visit when the bill arrives. Almost all clinics provide free or reduced-cost services to teens to make it easier to afford services.
• To make sure your visit is confidential, tell the clinic staff how to contact you privately about test results and future appointments.
• Beware of so-called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). These centers claim to give you complete and accurate information about your pregnancy options when they actually want to discourage you from getting an abortion. They offer misleading and medically inaccurate information about abortion. Common names of these centers are “Crisis Pregnancy Center,” “Pregnancy Aid,” “Birth Right,” “Open Door” or “Pregnancy Counseling Center.” They are often set up near clinics and Planned Parenthood locations in order to confuse patients to accidentally enter the CPC instead.

Emergency Contraception

• There are several types—or “brands”—of emergency contraception, sometimes called EC or the morning after pill.
• People of any age can buy the brand Plan B One Step and its generic versions at a local pharmacy over the counter, which means you can buy EC off the shelf.
• EC sells for between $35 and $60. Prices vary depending on the brand and the pharmacy.
• To find a provider or clinic near you, call the Emergency Contraception Hotline at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (668-2528).
• If you have been raped and you want EC, go to the emergency department of a hospital or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Open 24 hours, the hotline will connect you to EC providers near you. For other helpful information, check out the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s Website.

Sexting

• In Alabama, sending nude or sexual pictures of a person under 18 is a crime, even if the sender is under 18 as well.