It shouldn't even be up for debate.

The initiative should have been passed years ago.

The health, safety and well-being of Michigan's population should be more important than a 60-year-old man's erection.

It should be, but for some reason, it's not.

That's why Senate Bills 431 and 432 - part of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's push to stop accidental pregnancies - should shoot straight through into law.

The bills, which were introduced in April, could force Michigan health-care providers to insure approved contraceptives. Why do we even have to write this? It's a waste of text to say this needs to be passed, but apparently, Michigan legislators need to hear it one more time.

So here we go.

Birth control controls birth. It can also control and regulate irregular or painful periods, clears acne and it has been known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Without medical coverage, it can cost more than $30 a month to purchase contraceptives. That's at least $360 a year.

Yet Medicare now covers Viagra and Cialis, two drugs known for helping erectile dysfunction. We get it, Medicare. You've found this loophole. Erectile dysfunction is a disease, and that's why you've chosen to cover it. Great, help people with this disease. Now help real medical and social problems that can be aided with contraceptives.

For women who can't afford to pay for their birth control, preventing unintended births becomes continually harder. Some might make the choice to have sex anyway. This is where the pro-abstinence people interrupt and say, "Well, she shouldn't be having sex in the first place." Which still wouldn't explain why Viagra and Cialis would be covered.

It's not the government's decision to mandate a person's morals about sex. People will still choose to have sex no matter who tells them not to, and it's their individual right to make that decision. But the government can help these individuals make informed choices, and with these bills, the choice becomes much easier - and cheaper - to make.

It's frustrating, too, that the politicians behind the bills, including Michigan's governor, are all women. The issue of safe sex, unintended pregnancies and women's health is a concern of the entire population, not just women. This is a social and health issue, not a women's rights issue.

We only hope that all Michigan legislators, male or female, make the right choice on this one.