Sex ed. should be required

The future of health in the state of Missouri is in jeopardy: Women are more than 50% likely to die from childbirth than women in the rest of the country. This is unacceptable. We need sexual education to be required in Missouri schools. Young men and women should have access to this resource, especially during puberty when their hormones could direct them to make a decision that will follow them for the rest of their lives. This will save lives and improve the quality of life in our community.

In Cape Girardeau County, two preventable sexually-transmitted infections increased between 2015 and 2018. New syphilis diagnoses rose by 550% while gonorrhea incidents went up by 51%.

This feels like a giant step backward. Let's help move Missouri forward and in the right direction.

CODY WALKER, Jackson