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Teen sex in US unaffected by
abstinence-only programs
12 November, 2007
Programs launched in the United
States aimed at teaching abstinence to
teenagers have not helped reduce
teenage sex in the country.
The programs, which focused entirely
on teaching abstinence to children,
had received millions of dollars from
the government by way of grants.
A study, based on a review of research
into teen sexual behavior, was
conducted by the National Campaign to
Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy,
a non-partisan organization, showed
that abstinence-only programs did not
impact teen sex in the US. “At present
there does not exist any strong
evidence that any abstinence program
delays the initiation of sex, hastens
the return to abstinence or reduces
the number of sexual partners among
teenagers,” the study concluded.
It also found that more comprehensive
sex education programs were having
“positive outcomes” including
teenagers “delaying the initiation of
sex, reducing the frequency of sex,
reducing the number of sexual partners
and increasing use of condom or
contraceptive.”
Two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive
programs that supported both
abstinence and the use of condoms and
contraceptives for sexually active
teens had positive behavior effect,
according to the study report released
by the National Campaign to Prevent
Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
A spending bill before US Congress for
the Department of Health and Human
Services is intended to give $141
million in aid for the
community-based, abstinence-only sex
education programs. This amount is $4
million more than what President
George W Bush had requested.
The study report claimed that it could
debunk “the myths propagated by
abstinence-only advocates.” Some of
the so-called myths are that
comprehensive sex education promotes
promiscuity, hastens the initiative of
sex or increases its frequency, and
sends a confusing message to
adolescents.
Instead, the report said, such
programs improved teenagers’ knowledge
about the risks and consequences of
pregnancy and sexually transmitted
diseases and gave them “greater
confidence in their ability to say no
to unwanted sex.”
There continues to be “too high levels
of sexual risk-taking among teens,”
the report warned, with 47% of all
high-school students reporting having
sex at least once and 63% having
engaged in sex by the spring semester
of their senior year.
It was found that many teenagers do
not use contraceptives “carefully and
consistently.”
In the United States, around 40 out of
every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 gave
birth in 2005, the last year for which
data was available.
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