Should 'Abstinence-Only' Sex-Ed be Taught in Public Schools?

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Regardless of which side you fall on in the abstinence-only versus comprehensive sex education (CSE) debate, we all can agree on the desired outcome. We want to help adolescents develop a positive and accurate understanding of sexuality, keep them safe from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and do all that we can to prevent unintended pregnancies. From a public health perspective that is rooted in research, the most effective way to achieve this goal is through comprehensive sex education.

Experts in the fields of adolescent development, health and education recommend CSE programs that assist young people in developing a positive view of their sexuality, provide them with information necessary to protect their sexual health and help them acquire skills to make informed decisions, both now and in the future.

While CSE programs emphasize abstinence from all sexual activity as the most effective and reliable method of avoiding STIs, HIV and pregnancy, they also teach adolescents about contraceptives and barrier methods to reduce their risks. CSE programs provide adolescents with developmentally appropriate information regarding a broad range of topics related to sexuality, and also provide opportunities for students to develop communication, decision-making and other interpersonal skills. CSE programs also allow parents to exercise the option of taking their children out of such classes if they do not wish their children to be exposed to this information.

Several comprehensive sexuality education programs have been demonstrated, through rigorous evaluation, to delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse, reduce the number of sex partners, and/or increase the use of condoms and/or other forms of contraception among teens. Some programs have demonstrated sustained positive effects on behavior for as long as three years. In fact, most of the decline in teen birth and pregnancy rates seen in the United States between 1991 and 2005 is attributable to improved contraceptive use. An analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2007 found that 86 percent of the decline in teen pregnancy between 1995 and 2002 was the result of improved contraceptive use and only 14 percent was the result of fewer teens engaging in sexual intercourse.

In addition, teaching about contraceptives and barrier methods is not associated with increased risk of adolescent sexual activity or STIs. As reported in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, adolescents who received comprehensive sex education had a significantly lower risk of pregnancy than adolescents who received abstinence-only or no sex education.