Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Classes Have No Effect
Congress will decide this summer whether it wishes to renew the block grant program for abstinence-only sex education known as Title V. The federal government has spent about $176 million annually for the program. A study ordered by Congress and completed last month put some data into the public forum that will permit it to make its decision based on science rather than ideology.
Mathematica Policy Research Inc. conducted the study. Here's what they found.
Students who took part in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have intercourse as those who did not. And, those who attended the classes reported having similar numbers of sexual partners to those who did not attend the classes. Mathematica also found out that the average age of having the first intercourse was the same for both groups - just a little less than 15 years old.
Four different abstinence-only programs were examined from around the USA. Students were about eleven when they participated in these programs in 1999. They were surveyed again in late 2005 and early 2006 when they were about 16.
They found that about half of the abstinence-only students had experienced intercourse and about half of the control group (having no program) had also. The 2,057 students were from Miami, Milwaukee, Powhatan, VA and Clarksdale, MS - with both urban and rural settings represented.
So far, eight states have declined to participate in the Congressional funding program in which they spend $3 for every $4 that they get from the federal government. These states have decided that, despite the loss of revenue, their constituents would be better served by other types of sex education. Some lawmakers believe that this money should be used for what is called comprehensive sex education in which abstinence is included as a significant piece of the curriculum - but not the only piece. I strongly favor this approach also.
Some defenders of the abstinence-only programs say that these programs were in their early days and, by implication, that they were not as powerful in their effect as their defenders hoped. Supporters of comprehensive programs say that these four programs were "supposed to be their all-star lineup" and that this is excuse-making to combat results that did not favor their ideological position.
For years, the people working "in the trenches" with teens (Planned Parenthood, for example) have known that virginity promises and chastity balls attended by young women and their fathers had little impact on sexual decision-making. "Just saying 'no'" made some adults feel like they had adequately dealt with that pesky business called sex education. But, many have known that it was of little help. It's my sincere hope that Congress will look at this study carefully and abandon a sex education funding program that is based on ideology.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: sex education, abstinence, health and wellness
Mathematica Policy Research Inc. conducted the study. Here's what they found.
Students who took part in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have intercourse as those who did not. And, those who attended the classes reported having similar numbers of sexual partners to those who did not attend the classes. Mathematica also found out that the average age of having the first intercourse was the same for both groups - just a little less than 15 years old.
Four different abstinence-only programs were examined from around the USA. Students were about eleven when they participated in these programs in 1999. They were surveyed again in late 2005 and early 2006 when they were about 16.
They found that about half of the abstinence-only students had experienced intercourse and about half of the control group (having no program) had also. The 2,057 students were from Miami, Milwaukee, Powhatan, VA and Clarksdale, MS - with both urban and rural settings represented.
So far, eight states have declined to participate in the Congressional funding program in which they spend $3 for every $4 that they get from the federal government. These states have decided that, despite the loss of revenue, their constituents would be better served by other types of sex education. Some lawmakers believe that this money should be used for what is called comprehensive sex education in which abstinence is included as a significant piece of the curriculum - but not the only piece. I strongly favor this approach also.
Some defenders of the abstinence-only programs say that these programs were in their early days and, by implication, that they were not as powerful in their effect as their defenders hoped. Supporters of comprehensive programs say that these four programs were "supposed to be their all-star lineup" and that this is excuse-making to combat results that did not favor their ideological position.
For years, the people working "in the trenches" with teens (Planned Parenthood, for example) have known that virginity promises and chastity balls attended by young women and their fathers had little impact on sexual decision-making. "Just saying 'no'" made some adults feel like they had adequately dealt with that pesky business called sex education. But, many have known that it was of little help. It's my sincere hope that Congress will look at this study carefully and abandon a sex education funding program that is based on ideology.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: sex education, abstinence, health and wellness
14 Comments:
my vagina is red nd it itches but i have no discharge and it doent it hurt when i pee i thought that it would go away its been about 4 years now and its the same and i dont know what it is please help me.
I have to say my opinion is that no matter WHAT abstinence only classes they take or how open and honest you are with teens and what they say they will and will not do is just what they think you want to hear or what they need to hear themselves say to you so you will quit talking to them about sex, Teenagers are going to do ANYTHING they WANT to do when they are out of your site so the government is wasting money doing much of anything. You can even give out FREE condoms and they will take them and STILL have unprotected sex. I know all of this because it all happened with my 16 year old daughter. I asked her why didn't they at least use the condoms and she had no answer for me. I'm now a very young grandmommy and I love him an all but I'm just saying they are going to have sex apparrently even it means getting HIV and dying. It makes me so sick. Thanks - glowzz
To the first anonymous responder, be sure to pursue answers with your own doctor or gynecologist. In the meantime, you can post your situation on our GYN Issues message board.
So children are to begin with this philosophy to the exclusion of all other approaches to sexuality.
ABSTINENCE (Noun: restraint from indulging a desire for something) Synonyms: (self-restraint, self-denial, self-discipline, moderation, asceticism)
ASCETIC (Noun: somebody who chooses an austere life of self-denial) Synonyms: (austere, abstinent, frugal, abstemious, Spartan, severe)
AUSTERE (Adjective: grimly unsmiling, humorless, or suggesting strict self-denial--plain and simple, without luxury or self-indulgence) Synonyms: (severe, strict, stern, grave, sober, ascetic, serious, rigorous)
ONLY (adjective used to indicate the single person or thing involved in a situation)
And then at some point in early adulthood they are to transform themselves to this attitude.
LOVE (Noun: Very Strong Affection- an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion. Passionate Attraction and Desire- a passionate feeling of romantic desire and sexual attraction) Synonyms: (feel affection for, adore, worship, be in love with, be devoted to, care for, find irresistible, be keen on, be fond of)
MARRIAGE (Noun: a legally recognized relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony, between two people who intend to live together as SEXUAL and domestic partners.)
The current quasi-Christian administration has spent about a billion dollars of taxpayers money over the past six years, selling this crap to Americas children. I wonder how much health care, or food, or real education that money could have been used for?
(definitions courtesy of Encarta Dictionary.)
People are people...puberty begins around age 11, and for what? REPRODUCTION! People have only in the last century and a half started having babies over the age 16. You cannot turn off nature, especially human nature, because it is combined with free will and, in the last century, a multitude of images in the media that are undeniably pro-sex. Letting kids soak up sex on TV, in movies, music, all forms that suggest sex is good, you should be and dress sexy, and then telling children that sex is actually bad, does more to confuse them than educate. This also with the fact that when you touch yourself down there, NO WAY! It feels good! Kids masturbate as 2 and 3 year olds--human sexuality does not begin at marriage!
Remember...sex education is not just about not getting pregnant. The messages about STD's are prevalent as well in these programs, and these are life-long lessons. I worked in a comprehensive pregnancy prevention program, and I have had a chance to dispell the many myths surrounding sex that teens hang on to and live by. One of the biggest problems with teenagers having sex is the large amount of misinformation they are fed by friends and parents, not to mention abstinence-only programs.
Let's also not forget that teens are not yet fully developed in their decision-making abilities. Their actual brain structures for higher order decision making and critical analysis are not fully developed until approximately age 20-22! The best we can hope is that we prepare our children with the self-esteem, a sense of self-worth, and the knowledge that while sex sometimes just seems like sex, it can be a big interruption for the goals you have in life.
Ever wonder why kids in upper middle-class high schools get pregnant less than those in inner-city schools? Because the kids in the upper-class generally feel more connected to the community and to their own future stories and goals. They feel they have more at stake--people expect things of them, they are held to higher standards academically, and tend to be more involved in school, sports, and other extra-curriculars.The most likely time for teens to be having sex is between the hours of 3 and 6pm, aka "after-school" and before parents get home. Keep your kids busy in an activity, and at least that small window of opportunity is gone and you only have to worry about weekend nights!
Teenage sexuality is complex and multi-faceted, and is intertwined with the problems of identity formation, socialization and group identity, and pure old natural instinct. The best approach to dealing with this is to be honest with children; there are ways to teach kids about pregnancy, STD's, and the prevention of both, without either a) telling them sex and their bodies are BAD and b)"encouraging" them by giving out condoms, etc. Help them build self-esteem, help them see themselves as preparing for a specific future, and give them the tools to be successful adults (by the way, this starts at home, not in schools). Show them that you truly care about what happens to them, and they may feel like they have something to live up to.
The various debates surrounding sex education are borne of a society which is changing very rapidly. Humanity changed very organically in the last several thousand centuries, with slight advances in technology and the focus in the world being on agriculture and small town group life. That having changed, we have to change our way of "doing" sexuality education.
Dear Ms Weston,
I find it very interesting that you twice mention ideology in your essay. You also mention Planned Parenthood in a favorable manner, as "working in the trenches" with teens.
Does Planned Parenthood, an abortion provider, provide opinions that are solely based on science and not ideology? One wonders.
The high rate of teen pregnancy, directly related to early sexual activity, is largely a failure of fathers in their relationship with their daughters, in my opinion. Attendance at a chastity ball is clearly not sufficient. Fathers need to be willing to do much more, to self-sacrificially and relationally engage their daughters.
I cannot join you in disparaging fathers who are making any attempt at a close relationship with their daughters. The chastity ball may be an important first step, and such steps should be applauded.
One also hopes that the US Congress will rely on more input than a single study from Mathematica Policy Research. We shall see.
I remain, "working in the trenches",
A father in Austin.
i have noticed, small dots, that look like bruises/broken blood vessels on the tip of my penis. This is the second time i've noticed them in the last few months. Both times, i have noticed them within 24 after sex. My girlfriend is fairly peteite. About, 5'1'', 100 lbs. Is there cause for concern? There are not other systems. No painful urination. No blood in urine.
I'm a 16 year old girl who has chosen to save myself for marriage as a religious reason, not to mention never having to worry about getting STDs or having unplanned pregnancies. In my Anatomy class, we were taught a lot about different choices to make and the consequences on both sides. Obviously, we learned the reproductive parts and how they work but also my teacher took time to explain why we should get the HPV vaccine and also about various STDs and how they spread. She explained how birth control and the morning after pill work. She of course told us to consider our choices very carefully and explained that no form of protection (ie. condom, birth control) were 100% affective and accidents can happen. It seemed very affective to us as students to hear all of this and not just "don't have sex or you will get aids and die" that we got Freshman year in health class. The gov't should spend money educating kids on how to at least stay a little safer rather than tell them nothing.
Dear Ms. Weston,
I want to know if using a sex toy(vibrator) on my pregnant wife, will cause hearing loss to the baby or any other side effects. She is in her 2nd trimester.
Please Advise.
E
hi there i have a question, i am 18 years old and having sex, and was considering birth control. but there are to many chooise and i dont know what is right for me. i am worried that the birth control will take my ability of having kids later on in my life. also i am in a long term relationship and he does not like the condoms that much, so what do i consider to chooes brith control that is right for me??
To the 16 year old saving yourself for marriage, I promise it is 100% worth it. I waited to have sex until I married my husband. I believe this helped to strengthen our marriage emotionally and physically. He cherishes the gift I gave him with that, as I do with him.
To the father in Austin, keep working! My father is an incredible man and I have the highest respect for him. The things he taught me greatly shaped my life. To this day, my husband and I have a close friendship with him and when I began dating, I was glad that I had a strong father to back me up and to use as a model for what I would want in my own famliy.
At this point, I'd like to note that both my husband and I work in the education field. We are both in our mid 20's, so the topic of abstinence education strikes close to our recent education.
My husband is currently a high school health teacher in the public school system. His view on abstinence education is that it should be greatly emphasized, but students also need to be aware of why. He commented to me that many of his students are unaware of the long term affects of STDs or even what they look like. With the written consent of the parents of his students and the school, he brought in pictures. Several students came up to him after class and commented to him that they were unaware of what an STD looked like and the pictures put it in perspective. The pain caused by STDs goes beyond physical. Treatments can be difficult for the individuals, but STDs are equally hard on the partners. Many STDs are passed onto children. From the high school curriculm that we have seen, many are unprepared for the full consequences of an STD.
I think that people (especially high school students) need to be informed on the effects of STDs, the unreliability of birth control, the trials and joys of raising children, and the full horror of an abortion. As a side note, the most effective video I saw in high school was called Silent Scream. This video shows a partial birth abortion in very vivid detail. After seeing that video, no one in my class could argue that a baby was killed that day.
Abstinence from any sexual activity is truly the only way to avoid an STD, and that should be emphasized. Abstinence before marriage is the only way to guarantee that you won't get pregnant. People need to understand that abstinence is not impossible and the benefits of it do go far beyond avoiding STDs. I am happy to say that quite a few of my friends who graduated from college with me also saved themselves for marriage. Most are now happily married....with children. :o)
Ok, whew. That's quite enough from me. I've enjoyed hearing your viewpoints and I am aware that there are those that disagree with me. That's part of being alive.
A large percentage of the world is having sex before marriage. Children need more information then just "dont have sex". It didnt work when i was a teen, and it still doesnt work today. I'm amazed at how much young people today dont know about sexuality. Its really very scary.
I understand not waiting until marriage to have sex. Waiting for marriage for sex is like buying a house without ever being inside it. Your making a major long term committment and you dont even know if its something you will enjoy day in and day out.
I hope parents and schools include honest and useful information about sex along with the message of absitnence. So many young people could benefit from it.
sex is good sex can be great so teach and appreciate!!!!!!!!! :)
For whatever reason a person likes to have sex (curiosity, pleasure, love, peer pressure etc.), there are so many things to consider. But, in my opinion you should always keep in mind (1) will I catch SOMETHING from this person? -if you get AIDS, there is no taking back. (2)if I get pregnant will I'll be able to support the child? or what do I do? (3)is he sleeping with somebody else currently? Sex can be fun but just be cautious. In my opinion, 18 is too young to have sex - some are not even out of high school, you think you can take care of a child, some don't even have jobs at that age. BUT no matter how old you want to have sex and not be pregnant, put a darn condom on and make sure you're not gonna catch any kind of diseases cause condoms can't protect you there. (don't be shy, ask your partner or ask if you two can be tested together.) Better safe than sorry, my friend died of AIDS that she got from her partner.
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