Sex ed Rights

• South Carolina state law requires schools to provide sex education as of sixth grade. Schools are not allowed to provide education on STDs prior to sixth grade.
• Local school boards decide which subjects this education must cover and the grade level in which topics are introduced.
• Abstinence must be “strongly emphasized.”
• Teaching about contraceptives, such as condoms and the Pill, may be covered, but only in the “context of future family planning.”
• Contraceptives cannot be distributed at schools.
• Health education classes “may not include a discussion of alternate sexual lifestyles from heterosexual relationships including, but not limited to, homosexual relationships, except in the context of instruction concerning [STDs].” Think this is discriminatory? Check out the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)website to see how you can help change this policy.
• Parents must be told in advance of any sex ed instruction and can remove their child or children from sex ed classes. This is called an “opt-out” policy.
• If you want your school to offer comprehensive sex ed classes, be sure to learn more at SIECUS about your state. You can make a difference!

HIV/AIDS and Other STDs Education

• South Carolina requires STDs education but it does not require education on HIV/AIDS.
• Again, abstinence must be “strongly emphasized.”

Age of Minority

17

• In South Carolina, as with most states, you are considered a minor (someone who is not an adult) if you are under 18 years old.
• This is a legal status that lawmakers created for your protection. We want you to be informed because being a “minor” affects your right to information and services. To learn more, read on!

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.”Consent laws are meant to protect minors from being manipulated or forced into sex with older people.
• Laws about consent may be different depending on the type of sex—vaginal, anal or oral—and the genders of those having sex.
• The age of consent in South Carolina is 16.

LGBTQ Rights

• In South Carolina, there are no statewide anti-discrimination laws that clearly include sexual orientation or gender identity.
• There are no statewide anti-bullying laws that protect students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
• State hate crimes laws also do not include sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Oklahoma also has what’s known as a “Don’t Say Gay” law, which restricts teachers and school staff from talking about LGBTQ issues and people.
• If discrimination, harassment or a hate crime happens to you or someone you know, please call the Gay and Lesbian National Hotline at 1-888-THE-GLNH (843-4564) for help and support, or check out Lambda Legal. No one deserves discrimination or harassment!

HIV / AIDS Testing

• In South Carolina, if you are 16 years old or a “mature minor,” you don’t need permission from your parent or guardian to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV—or to consent to treatment. (A health care provider can treat a “mature minor,” or someone who they feel is mature enough to receive health care without a parent’s permission.)
• If you’re under 18, it’s especially 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.
• Find an HIV testing site in your area 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 pack of twelve condoms costs about $12. Internal or female condoms are about $2 to $4 per condom.
• 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.

Birth Control

• In South Carolina, if you are 16 or older and/or married, you can get a prescription for birth control without a parent’s permission. This is also true if your health care provider considers you a “mature minor,” which means they consider you responsible or mature enough to get a birth control prescription without a parent’s permission.
• Clinics called “Title X clinics”—pronounced “title ten”—provide confidential 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 diseases and infections, including HIV.
  • 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.
• 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:
  • 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.

Abortion Access

This section is currently being updated and may not have the most current information (as you know, these laws have been shifting quickly). We are working to refresh it ASAP! For now, you can see updated abortion policies here.

• If you are under 17 years old and want an abortion, one parent, legal guardian or grandparent must give permission before you can get one. This is called parental consent. If that’s not possible, you are able to ask a judge for permission; this is called a judicial bypass. You can also get special permission if it’s an emergency.
• There is a 24-hour mandatory waiting period in South Carolina before someone can get an abortion.
• South Carolina provides Medicaid (health care) coverage for abortion only in cases of a medical emergency, life endangerment to the pregnant person or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.
• If you need more information on abortion or 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).

Adoption

• To learn about adoption, 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.
• 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.
• 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 without a prescription.
• EC sells for between $35 and $60. Prices vary depending on the brand and the pharmacy.
• To find an EC provider, call the Emergency Contraception Hotline at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (668-2528). They can help you find access to EC if you’re having any trouble at all.
• South Carolina requires emergency rooms to provide EC to rape survivors.
• If you have been raped and you want EC, 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 Web site.

Sexting

• A law in South Carolina prohibits sexting by minors. The penalty for sexting is a civil fine and attendance of an educational program and/or limiting the teen’s driving privileges. The law specifically notes that it covers minors between ages 12 and 18.
• Be aware that having someone’s permission to take or share images of them is important, but even if you have permission, taking or sharing nude or sexual images of someone under 18, even yourself, could put you in legal trouble.