Abstinence-Based Sex Education

Failures of Abstinence-based Sex Education

Abstinence-based sex education fails their students by:

Violating adolescent human rights
Withholding medically accurate information
Stigmatizing and excluding many youths within the curriculum
Discriminating against LGBT youth
Reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes
Undermining public health programs
Only emphasizing failures of contraceptives
Failing to fully explain consent

Failures of abstinence-based sex education results in students:

Resorting to risky behavior due to lack of knowledge and attempts to hide activity
Unknowingly violating the consent of others
Unintentionally engaging in unsafe sexual practices that lead to unplanned pregnancies and the spread of STIs

Abstinence Education Programs: Definition, Funding, and Impact on Teen Sexual BehaviorThis factsheet reviews the types of sex education models and state policies surrounding them, the major sources of federal funding for both abstinence and safer sex education, and summarizes the re…

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage ProgramsSince 1982, the federal government has spent over $2 billion on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. They don’t work.

Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.SThe United States ranks first among developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In an effort to reduce these rates, the U.S. government has funded abstinence-only sex education programs for more than a decade. However, a public controversy remains over whether this investment has been successful and whether these programs should be continued. Using the most recent national data (2005) from all U.S. states with information on sex education laws or policies (N = 48), we show that increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates. This trend remains significant after accounting for socioeconomic status, teen educational attainment, ethnic composition of the teen population, and availability of Medicaid waivers for family planning services in each state. These data show clearly that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. In alignment with the new evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative and the Precaution Adoption Process Model advocated by the National Institutes of Health, we propose the integration of comprehensive sex and STD education into the biology curriculum in middle and high school science classes and a parallel social studies curriculum that addresses risk-aversion behaviors and planning for the future.

Where Can I Learn More About Abstinence-Based Sex Ed?

Abstinence-Based Sex Ed is a Failure

Why Abstinence Education Doesn't Work

Ethical Concerns Over Abstinence-Based Sex Ed

Abstinence Sex Ed Is Harmful to Young Adults

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