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Should California public high schools be required to provide free condoms?

Supporters of newly-proposed state legislation say this is critical to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and STD's.

SAN DIEGO — Should high schools here in California be required to offer free condoms to students? 

Newly proposed legislation would mandate that public high schools offer this contraception - at no charge - to their students. 

Supporters say this is critical to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Some school districts, including in San Francisco and Long Beach, already have programs that distribute free condoms to students.

This new legislation, SB 541, would require all public high schools to offer them as a way of reducing rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

"It is something that should be offered for certain!" said Sean Abernathy, a San Diego father with teen-age kids. He is supportive of this move to increase students' access to condoms in high school.

"I think it's important for students to have access to those things," said UCSD student Carson McCloskey, adding that condoms were not offered in her high school, but believe it would have been a good idea.

"Because students are obviously going to engage in these types of activities anyway," she said, "so to practice safe sex is a really good thing for schools to promote."

Fellow college student Phoebe Betts pointed out that most colleges already provide condoms.

"I feel like having that same access for high school students would be really important," she told CBS 8. 

State Senator Caroline Menjivar authored this new legislation. Which still has to be approved by the California Senate and Assembly.

"By requiring free condoms in all California high schools, we are empowering the youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from STIs, while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex," Menjivar said in a statement.

Mother Amelia John-Baptiste sees the wisdom in that, and is surprised that California doesn't already have this law on the books.

"We're not giving the message here to go out and have sex," John-Baptiste said. "We are just saying that if you do choose to have sex, here is protection."

Menjivar also pointed out that teens in California have been disproportionately impacted by STDs.

According to the CDC, 15-year-olds to 24-years-olds account for more than half of these new cases state-wide, and only about 52% of sexually active young people use condoms.

For mom Miriam Manzano, while increasing access to condoms is critical, she said that providing education to accompany that is also crucial.

'They have to get sexual education," Manzano told CBS 8. "That is for sure!"

If ultimately passed and signed into law, public high schools would have to begin proving free condoms to their students beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. 

In response to this proposed legislation, the California Family Council issued this statement: 

"California public schools have been pushing condoms as part of 'comprehensive sex education' for more than a decade in the name of improving student health. But it's been a complete failure if you look at the skyrocketing rates of sexually transmitted infections."

"According to the California Department of Public Health, STIs have reached 'epidemic levels.'  It should be obvious that more condoms are not the solution. We have to stop assuming hormonal teens can't control themselves. The only sure way to reduce STI rates is to tell young people the truth, that those with the most fulfilling and healthy sex lives are those who treat sex as a special and intimate act to be shared in a monogamous committed relationship with someone of the opposite sex."

WATCH RELATED: Proposed legislation would require HPV vaccine for California eighth graders 

    

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