Abstinence Only Vs. Comprehensive Sexuality Education

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Abstinence Only Vs. Comprehensive Sexuality
Education

• PART II What is the difference?

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Two Forms of Sex Education

• Abstinence-Only
• Comprehensive

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• Abstinence-Only -
• Focuses on teaching young people that abstaining
  from sex until marriage is the best means of
  ensuring that they avoid infection with HIV,
  other STDs and unintended pregnancies.
• Abstinence, Sex Education and HIV Prevention
  (96-2008)

• Comprehensive
• Stresses that abstinence is the only way to
  completely prevent STDs and pregnancy, but also
  provides information about safer sex and
  communication so that teens that choose to be
  sexually active will have the tools they need to
  be safe.
• Crooks, R Baur, K., p. 345-346

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Which method is BEST?
One of the ways in which the debate between
supporters of abstinence and comprehensive
approaches to sex education has been framed is in
terms of which is the most effective.
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EVIDENCE

• There is good evidence, from programs that were
  implemented in the US, UK and Europe that prove
  comprehensive sex education can reduce behaviors
  that put young people at risk of HIV, STDs and
  unintended pregnancy.
• Studies have repeatedly shown too that this
  kind of sex education does not lead to the
  earlier onset of sexual activity among young
  people and, in some cases, will even lead to it
  happening later.
• Abstinence, Sex Education and HIV Prevention
  (96-2008)

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EVIDENCE cont..

• Comprehensive sex education is also age
  appropriate, developmentally appropriate,
  introducing information on relationship, decision
  making assertiveness, and skill building to
  resist social/peer pressure, depending on grade
  level.
• Information is also medically accurate when
  dealing with contraceptives.
• Advocates for Youth

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EVIDENCE

• As part of welfare reform, Congress passed
  legislation in 1996 50 million in federal funds
  for abstinence-until-marriage programs which
  censor information about contraceptives.
• The abstinence programs receive about 158
  million a year from the federal Department of
  Health and Human Services.

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Since then, despite no evidence of the
effectiveness of these programs and Americans
opposition to federal funding for them, the
government has dumped more and more taxpayer
money into unrealistic and unproven
abstinence-only programs.
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PROFESSIONALS

• Today, youth face serious health issues and too
  often encounter barriers to the information and
  services that they need!

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PARENTS

• When parents talk to and affirm the value of
  their children, young people are more likely to
  develop positive, healthy attitudes about
  themselves.
• Research shows that positive communication
  between parents and their children can help young
  people establish individual values and make
  healthy decisions.
• Advocates for Youth, 2008

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According to Barbara Huberman, RN, MEd, Director
of Education and Outreach for Advocates for
Youth, parents who act on the belief that young
people have the right to accurate sexuality
information are parents whose teens will delay
the intuition of intimacy and use contraceptives
when they choose to become sexually active.
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POLICY MAKERS

• Youth want accurate information and answers to
  their questions.
• They want respect and to be taken seriously.

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Research continues to show that comprehensive
sex education, which teaches both abstinence and
contraception, is most effective for young
people.
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Youth who receive this kind of education are
more likely to initiate sexual activity later in
life and use protection correctly and
consistently when they do become sexually active.
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Evaluations of comprehensive sex education
programs show that these programs

• Delay the onset of sexual activity
• Reduce frequency of sexual activity
• Reduce number of sexual partners
• Increases contraceptive use
• Advocates for Youth, 2008

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Importantly, the evidence shows that these
programs do not encourage teens to become
sexually active.RESPONSIBLE SEX EDUCATION
PROGRAMS WORK!!