Emerging Answers 2007
Sex education programs that focus on both abstinence and contraception have a more positive effect on teenagers’ sexual behavior than programs that focus solely on abstaining from sex until marriage, says a report by the Washington-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
The report, written by Douglas Kirby, a senior research scientist at the Scotts Valley, Calif.-based ETR Associates, found that programs that discussed both abstinence and contraception were more likely to delay the initiation of sex and boost contraception use in teenagers than abstinence-only programs. The study also found that school-based contraception-availability programs for teenagers did not increase sexual activity.
The study evaluated 115 sex education programs for its conclusions.
