Age of Consent
Sex Education Required by State
Sex Education Type
Medically Accurate Content Required
LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Consent Education Taught
Adult Entertainment
Indiana's age of consent is 16. State law includes a close-in-age exemption: sexual activity with a 14- or 15-year-old is a misdemeanor, not a felony, if the defendant is less than four years older. Indiana Code Section 35-42-4-9 covers sexual misconduct with a minor.
Indiana has no statewide sex education mandate. When districts choose to offer it, they must stress abstinence as the preferred choice and cannot advocate for contraception use. Contraception may be mentioned in limited factual contexts. There is no requirement for medical accuracy, no LGBTQ+ inclusion requirement, and no consent education mandate. In practice, many Indiana districts offer minimal or no formal sex education.
Indiana's adult entertainment environment is moderate. Indianapolis and other urban areas have adult entertainment businesses operating under local licensing and zoning rules. The state has not pursued aggressive restriction campaigns at the state level, though individual counties and municipalities vary. Adult businesses operate with moderate regulatory burden in most jurisdictions.
No mandate. When offered, must stress abstinence. Cannot advocate for contraception.
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In the News
- Indiana's new rules around sex ed go into effect this summer. Here's what's changing - WFYIMay 23
- Don't Say Gay Bill Passes Committee - ACLU of IndianaNov 7
- Last-minute change removes requirement for Indiana schools to teach consent in sex education - The Indiana LawyerApr 22
- New Indiana sexual education law in effect July 1 after debate over ‘consent’ - WANE 15Jun 23
- Democrats, school advocates continue pushback against ‘redundant’ human sexuality bill - Indiana Capital ChronicleApr 2
Full Indiana profile
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Sources: NCSL, Guttmacher Institute, SIECUS State Profiles, Wikipedia "Ages of consent in the United States". Laws change — verify current status with official sources.