Recently, several of our area's elected officials have been pushing a bill which would require students to opt-in to a sex education class with parental consent forms. Practically speaking, opt-in notices won't make it home, and busy working parents will miss them even if they do.

The current program is an opt-out program; students receive sex education as a part of their health and wellness courses in middle school and high school.

Before the lesson is taught, students receive handouts directing parents to return the signed slip if they do not wish for their child to participate in the sex ed lesson.

This program is vital in teaching students how to use proper methods of protection, as well as to be wary of sexually transmitted diseases, thus creating an atmosphere of personal awareness through education.

This lesson also includes an urging for delay of sexual activity and the option to abstain from sexual activity altogether. When selecting courses in high school, students and parents receive a course selection booklet.

These booklets describe the content of each course in each department. Once courses are selected, a course selection sheet must be signed by both the student and parent.

This appears to make the proposed opt-in bill redundant for the high school student, as parents are already opting in by signing the course selection sheet.

Also, schools of all levels hold various evening meetings explaining curriculum and course requirements. This is especially true for students transitioning from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.

Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate, states that passing the Health Education Bill, (an initiative on Beacon Hill to make comprehensive health education, including sex education, a core subject in public schools) is a responsible notion enforcing what studies prove to be most effective:

"Young people need access to comprehensive health education in order to make responsible decisions, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. Research has demonstrated that offering medically accurate, age-appropriate health education is a crucial component in the prevention of health problems affecting today's youth."

Sex education is a vital part of our students' well-being. This lesson helps to prepare students for what they will inevitably encounter.

According to a study conducted by WebMD.com, "sex education is effective, increasing the chances that teens will delay having sexual intercourse at least until they reach age 15."

Asking students to return signed permission slips to opt-in is absolutely sure to decrease the number of students who receive sex education, thus creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, which is bound to increase sexual experimentation in younger students.

MATT TROWBRIDGE of North Attleboro is challenging Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, for re-election as state representative of the 14th Bristol District in next year's election.