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
- Blurred lines: Church-state separation, Indiana’s RFRA, and the politics of belief - Americans UnitedMar 4
- Indiana's new rules around sex ed go into effect this summer. Here's what's changing - WFYIMay 23
- After pushback, requirement for Indiana schools to teach consent in sex education returned to bill - Indiana Capital ChronicleApr 23
- Indiana law on requirements for teaching human sexuality in schools goes into effect July 1 | Education - WDRBJun 24
- Lawmaker reconsiders removal of consent discussion in Indiana sex ed bill - Fox 59Apr 22
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.