Conglomeration of our research regarding sex education and the benefits of comprehensive programs
- New research from the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization which works to increase reproductive health and awareness, has shown that teens who receive more advanced comprehensive sexual education instruction are more likely to not only delay having sex, but also make better overall life choices
- These include things like partner selection and contraceptive use, among others
- This data was taken from 4,691 men and women who participated in the National Survey of Family Growth in 2008
- According to this survey, only 66% of females and 55% of males claimed to have received formal instruction regarding contraceptives, abstinence, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases prior to having sex for the first time
- The researchers found that those who received formal instruction typically waited until a later age to engage in intercourse for the first time
- In addition, those who received instruction were more likely to use contraceptives and birth control than those who did not
- In addition, the researchers found that the amount of instruction the young people received also played a role, as those who were only given instruction regarding abstinence showed little increase in the use of contraceptives over those who received no instruction at all
- They also found that ongoing education, even after first sex, greatly improved students’ use of contraceptives and general smarts regarding the topic
- This means that the sex ed process should continue past the age at which most people begin to engage in sexual activity
- Lastly, the researchers connected the quality of the education to both race and income group
- They found that Black and Hispanic teens, those from lower income groups, and those of mothers with fewer years of education were less likely to receive instruction
- There is currently no federal program in place that gives funds for comprehensive sexual education programs, as all funds are given to abstinence programs, which are much less effective
- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy released a study in November of 2007, which showed overwhelmingly beneficial effects of rigorous sex ed programs in schools
- Of the 48 schools that participated in the survey, two-thirds reported an improvement in the use of contraceptives, as well as a delay in first sex
- Not one school reported an increase in sex or a hastening of first sex
- All of the programs were co-ed, and schools reported an even improvement among males and females, suggesting that a co-ed comprehensive program is equally beneficial to both sexes
- In addition, although each program was different, they all produced similar results, suggesting that it would not be difficult to replicate the success of one program in a different school, as long as a set of fundamental concepts are present in every curriculum
- A 2007 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health showed a similar collection of 80 schools/programs
- Again, 2/3 reported a significant improvement in sexual behaviors
- Many of the programs reported improvement that lasted well beyond the program itself, sometimes up to 3 years
- According to a study at Columbia University, about 86% of the country’s decline in teenage pregnancy was a direct result of increased contraceptive use
- Among older teenagers, because sexual activity remained the same, 100% of the decline can be attributed to increased contraceptive use
- Another study, published in the Archives of Adolescent and Pediatric Medicine in 2006, over 80% of those polled supported comprehensive sexual education, while over 90% of parents believed it to be either somewhat or very important
- In addition, the vast majority of those polled believed that federal funding should be used for programs that focus on both abstinence and contraception, including how to obtain condoms and other forms of contraception
- According to researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, teenagers who receive a comprehensive (abstinence + contraceptives) are half as likely to become teen parents than those who only receive abstinence based educations
- In addition, those who received comprehensive education were no more likely than those who received abstinence education
- Researchers surveyed 1,719 heterosexual teens, aged 15 to 19, of which 65% received comprehensive education, 25% received abstinence education, and 10% received no sexual education whatsoever
- Taking into account race, gender, age, and family makeup, those who received the comprehensive education were 50% less likely to report a pregnancy than those who received abstinence education, and 60% less likely than those who received no education at all
- It is worth noting that there is a very small difference between those who take the abstinence program and those who take no program, as comprehensive is the clear winner
- Despite these numbers, the federal government continues to only fund abstinence programs rather than comprehensive programs, spending over 1.5 billion dollars since 1996
- By age 20, 77% of respondents had had sex, 75% had had pre-marital sex
- The median age of first marriage in 2002 was 25.8
- The median age of first sex in 2002 was 17.4
- The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act authorized $ 50 million annually to fund abstinence until marriage education, in 1996. Program funded by this act must teach that, “abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage is the expected standard” and “sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects”
- In 2007, $204 million was requested to fund abstinence only education and prohibits encouraging the use of contraceptives outside of marriage
- 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education
- 12 states require that the instruction be medically accurate
- 17 states and the District of Columbia require that information on contraception be provided
- 37 states require that information on abstinence be provided (25 states require that abstinence be stressed, 12 states require that abstinence be covered)
- 9 states require that discussion of sexual orientation be inclusive, 3 states require only negative information on sexual orientation
- -According to the University of Washington, adolescents who had received comprehensive sex education were 60 percent less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant
- A federal report from 2007 revealed that abstinence-only programs had “no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence”
- Mississippi does not require sex education in schools abstinence-only education is required if it is taught. Mississippi has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the US (55 births per 1,000 girls).
- New Hampshire requires comprehensive sex education, encompassing abstinence and contraception. New Hampshire has the lowest rate of teen pregnancy in the US (<16 births per 1,000 girls).
- In 2008 $204 million was spent on abstinence only education by the federal government under the social security act
- The restrictions that states must follow in order to get the grant money from this act include no discussion that could be considered “promoting” use of contraceptives and abstinence only teaching-some states turned down the funding because of these restrictions
- By the time they reach age 44, 99% of Americans have had sex, 95% before marriage
- The Mathematica Policy Research evaluated the federally funded abstinence only education and found that it had “no beneficial impact”
- 82% of American Adults surveyed in 2005-2006 said they supported a comprehensive approach to sex education
- In a 2004 investigation 11 out of 13 common abstinence only curriculums included false information and subjective conclusions including “half of gay male teenagers in the US have tested positive for HIV” and “women who have an abortion are more prone to suicide”
- A 2007 study mandated by congress to evaluate their abstinence only program found not difference in age of first sex, pregnancy rates, and STI rates between students receiving abstinence-only education and no sex education.
- A 2007 survey found that only 14% of voters favor an abstinence only curriculum and 83% favor teaching students how to use a condom
- The median age of first sex is 17 vs the median age of marriage is 25.8 for women and 27.4 for men
- Over 25% of teens were found to not know that oral contraception does not provide protection against STIs
- The federal government has spent $1.5 billion+ since 1997 on abstinence only and abstinence until marriage sex education