In August 2021, Illinois became the first state to officially adopt the new national sex education standards, but the law has been met with some controversy.

Illinois will have an updated sex education curriculum — one that propenents say is more inclusive, culturally relevant, and based on national standards, but some lawmakers say the law goes too far by introducing sensitive topics too early. 

Lily Furgeson had a great experience in sex ed in middle school. Furgeson, who is a 17-year-old senior at a Chicago Public Schools high school, said her eighth grade sex ed teacher made sure to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities as part of their curriculum.

Teen pregnancy rates are going down in Illinois and across the nation because teens are having less sex, and when they do, they’re using contraception more often. The reasons behind these changes in behavior are harder to pinpoint.