The proposal would aim to require sex education — including but not limited to the teaching of abstinence — as early as middle school and would also make it easier for low-income women to obtain birth control. Women who are sexually assaulted would also be offered information about and access to emergency contraception.

Making contraception more accessible for low-income women would be more cost effective for the state in the long run. Low-income families would likely rely on the government for help should they experience an unplanned pregnancy.

It’s also nice to see the government finally taking measures to address the problems of teen pregnancy and stress the importance of practicing safe sex.

Some would argue that when children are exposed to sex at a young age, it makes them more likely to engage in sexual activity. Look no further than Dr. Phil’s take on giving kids guns: If you give a child a weapon, wouldn’t you rather teach them how to use it properly rather than having them figure it out on their own?

While abstinence is the best way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, it might not be the most realistic. Offering classes that preach abstinence along with safe sex is a great way for teens to learn how to protect themselves if and when they do start having sex.

Some parents may not want their children learning about sex in school. Under certain circumstances, this legislation would allow parents to remove their child from the classes. But the truth is, teens are going to learn about sex even if they don’t hear about it in a classroom. It would be more effective to inform youth about sex in a class rather than having them solely rely on information they’ve obtained from magazines or friends. When teens learn about sex through these mediums, they will more than likely not get the whole picture.

Sex education classes can be valuable to parents who don’t feel comfortable talking to their child about sex.

Although it’s great that sex education might soon be offered in the classroom, it shouldn’t substitute parents talking to their children about sex. In the end, the best way for teens to gain knowledge about the topic might be through the parents. When parents talk to their children about sex, they earn their child’s trust and respect and the child may be more open with the adult when they become sexually active.

It’s no secret that sex education reawakens a hotbed of religious debates. However, sex is a cultural and social issue, and ignoring it won’t solve any problems. Requiring sex education classes can only better educate America’s youth, and it’s comforting to know the government is finally starting to grasp that.