Advocates of comprehensive sex education are backing a bill that would require schools to teach about contraception and abstinence.
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy is calling on her colleagues to pass House Bill 3027, which would mandate that schools teach comprehensive sex education in grades 6-12.
Chicago ranks second in the nation for rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections amongst 15 to 19 year olds," Cassidy said in news release. "We have a responsibility to our children to give them all the information they need to remain safe, and the status quo is not working."
Currently, schools that teach sex education are required to discuss abstinence as a means of preventing sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. The new bill would require that those programs teach young people how to use contraception in addition to teaching about abstinence.
The proposed program stresses abstinence, and it allows parents to opt out. It also does not apply to private or religious schools. Lastly, schools that do not teach sex education are not required to adopt the curriculum.
The bill is intended to provide medically accurate standards to schools, said Anita Banerji, the public policy director of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.
"It would be an opportunity for students to receive that information across the board," Banerji said. She added that in many cases, youths do not know that condoms can prevent sexually transmitted infections in addition to substantially decreasing chances of pregnancy.