http://www.washingto...
A Mathematica press release can be found at http://www.mathemati...
More about how the study was done: http://www.mathemati...
The AP reports:
Students who took part in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have sex as those who did not, according to a study ordered by Congress.Also, those who attended one of the four abstinence classes that were reviewed reported having similar numbers of sexual partners as those who did not attend the classes. And they first had sex at about the same age as other students: 14.9 years, according to Mathematica Policy Research Inc.
The federal government now spends about $176 million annually on abstinence-until-marriage education. Critics have repeatedly said they don't believe the programs are working, and the study will give them reinforcement.
However, Bush administration officials cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the study. They said the four programs reviewed***were some of the very first established after Congress overhauled the nation's welfare laws in 1996.
The groups who oppose abstinence only education have issued their own statements, links to which you can find here: http://www.rhreality...
The Institute of Medicine, part of the CDC, had called for the elimination of these programs back in October 2000:
"?Investing hundreds of millions of dollars of federal and state funds over five years in abstinence-only programs with no evidence of effectiveness constitutes poor fiscal and public health policy?. Congress, as well as other federal, state and local policy makers, [should] eliminate requirements that public funds be used for abstinence-only education."
This is consistent with a report done in England:
Schools that preach abstinence may be putting pupils at greater risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, inspectors claim. A new report from Ofsted, the education watchdog, concludes: "There is no evidence that abstinence-only programmes as the only education reduce teenage pregnancies or improve sexual health."Research suggests that education that promotes abstinence but withholds information about contraception can place young people at higher risk."
The report, stemming from a survey of personal, social and health education lessons in 350 schools, praises nurses who hand out "emergency hormonal contraception" - the morning-after pill - and other contraceptives for the part they play in combating unwanted pregnancies among girls aged 11 to 16. There is also no evidence to support claims that teaching about contraception leads to increased sexual activity," it adds.
Back in 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics said:
teenagers need access to birth control and emergency contraception, not the abstinence-only approach to sex education favored by religious groups and President Bush. The recommendations are part of the American Academy of Pediatrics' updated teen pregnancy policy.http://www.msnbc.msn...
Yesterday a group of pro-abstinence education groups held a conference call (the Abstinence Clearinghouse). A Heritage Foundation representative
"led the preemptive damage-control planning. He outlined several strategies the abstinence-only movement could use to rationalize the findings in the report saying, "The other spin I think is very important is not [program] effectiveness, but rather the values that are being taught . . .Whether or not these programs work is a "bogus issue."
Read those last couple of sentences again.
Ironically, the representative from the Heritage Foundation who made the "spin" statements is named Robert E. Rector. http://www.heritage....
Abstract: .... There is broad support for abstinence as a necessary and appropriate part of sexuality education. Controversy arises when abstinence is provided to adolescents as a sole choice and where health information on other choices is restricted or misrepresented.... A recent emphasis on abstinence-only programs and policies appears to be undermining more comprehensive sexuality education and other government-sponsored programs. We believe that abstinence-only education programs, as defined by federal funding requirements, are morally problematic, by withholding information and promoting questionable and inaccurate opinions. Abstinence-only programs threaten fundamental human rights to health, information, and life.
From "After the promise: The STD consequences of adolescent virginity pledges," Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 36, Issue 4, April 2005, Pages 271-278
[In] Pledgers ... STD infection rate does not differ from nonpledgers. Possible explanations are that pledgers are less likely than others to use condoms at sexual debut and to be tested and diagnosed with STDs.
MORE than half of India's children have been sexually abused, according to a government survey that has prompted calls for tougher laws and mandatory sex education in schools.http://www.theaustra...The survey, by the newly formed Ministry of Women and Child Development, found that 53.22 per cent of children between five and 18 years had suffered sexual abuse, ranging from forced kissing to rape.
Several articles I read had variations on the following, about India being a society where sex is not talked about:
The study was the first attempt to document the extent of child abuse in a country where it is viewed largely as a Western phenomenon and where discussion of sexual matters is still strictly taboo.
The Times of India said in an editorial about the report:
The argument for the inclusion of sex education in school curriculum is reinforced by the disturbing facts revealed by the survey. Schoolchildren must be given sex education, informed by fact and shorn of half-baked moral sermons. Adults in India need to grow up and abandon their ingrained squeamishness about sexual discourse for the sake of a healthy society.http://timesofindia....
Despite this sorry news, I have great respect for Indian culture and I believe the country will work on the problem. After all, it is only in recent years that our country started talkig about the problem of child abuse openly.
The good thing India has going for it -- George Bush is not its President.
Yes. Kids need to learn that sex before marriage is wrong, and that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy and STDs.
16%
No. Students are going to have sex if they want to. Better to arm them with all the facts so they can make informed decisions.
82%
I'm not sure.
1.3%