At a marathon virtual hearing Monday, dozens of Texans implored the State Board of Education to dramatically update the minimum statewide standards for what Texas public school students are taught about sex and health, policies which have not been revised since 1997.

At the board’s first public hearing on the proposals, many current and former Texas public school students recalled their own experiences with sexual education teachers who emphasized shame instead of accuracy.

Texas does not mandate that school districts teach sexual education, and high school students do not have to take health education to meet state graduation requirements.

Cline, who advocates for abstinence-only education after spending years as a comprehensive sexual educator, said that adding information about contraceptives and safer sex into middle school health standards would pressure students to have sex.

Marisa Pérez-Diaz, a San Antonio Democrat on the board, pushed back on that, pointing out that more than 100,000 Texas public school students are homeless, including many in foster care, and don’t have families to provide them with sex education.