Age of Consent
Sex Education Required by State
Sex Education Type
Medically Accurate Content Required
LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Consent Education Taught
Adult Entertainment
Texas' age of consent is 17. There is a close-in-age exemption under Texas Penal Code Section 22.011: sexual activity with a person aged 14, 15, or 16 is not a felony if the defendant is within three years of age of the minor and the conduct was not by force. This is sometimes called the "Romeo and Juliet" law.
Texas has no statewide sex education mandate. Districts may choose whether to offer sex ed, and when they do, most use an abstinence-only or abstinence-heavy approach reflecting the state's conservative political composition. Several major urban districts including Austin ISD have adopted more comprehensive frameworks as a matter of local policy. Lawrence v. Texas (2003) originated in Houston, where two men were arrested under the state's sodomy law. The Supreme Court struck down that law, and all sodomy laws nationally, in its ruling.
Texas' adult entertainment environment is moderate overall but with significant variation. Dallas, Houston, and Austin have large adult entertainment industries. Texas regulates adult businesses through a combination of state licensing fees, local zoning, and county-level option laws. The state imposes a six-dollar-per-customer tax on strip clubs, upheld by the Texas Supreme Court in 2010. Adult businesses outside major urban centers face considerable restriction through local ordinances.
No statewide mandate. Very conservative approach in most districts. Sodomy law struck down (Lawrence v. Texas 2003, TX origin). Age 17.
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In the News
- As Gen Z Struggles to Navigate Sex, Texas Makes It Harder to Get Information in Schools - Reporting TexasFeb 25
- SXSW Panel Explores Texas’ Role in the Gen Z Sex Recession - The Austin ChronicleMar 16
- Educate to Empower: Protecting Reproductive Rights in Texas - Georgetown UniversityApr 8
- Houston-area schools navigating new Texas law regarding parental consent for student healthcare - Houston Public MediaSep 10
- Only 37% of US States Require Sexual Education in Schools to Be Medically Accurate - Boston UniversityAug 21
Full Texas 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.