|
Study finds an abstinence-only sex class that works
On the news that teen pregnancy took a slight uptick in recent years, some blamed the abstinence-only sex education programs of the Bush years (not to mention a certain family from Alaska, as well as the siblings of certain pop singers). Now comes a study that found signs of success in an abstinence program, but there's a big caveat: They have to leave out the preaching.
The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, used randomized trials with a group of 662 African-American 6th and 7th graders. Groups were assigned to one of the following:
- An 8-hour abstinence-only program
- An 8-hour safer-sex-only program.
- An 8- or 12-hour program that combined both.
- An 8-hour control group that just focused on non-sex related health issues.
This abstinence program was carefully designed to try to avoid pitfalls others have encountered. It counseled children to delay sex “until they are ready” rather than until marriage, avoided a moralistic tone, and was careful not to disparage condom use, and to help children get rid of misconceptions about contraceptives if the subject came up during discussion.
In the group receiving abstinence-only education, 33 percent began having sex over the next two years, compared with 47 percent of those in the control group. Among the other groups, 52 percent of those taught only about safe sex became sexually active within two years, as did 42 percent of those in the comprehensive program.
The Obama administration has announced its intention to only fund only evidence-based teen-pregnancy programs – and it put sharp cuts in funds for abstinence-only programs. But under those criteria, the type of abstinence-only program used in this new study would be likely to qualify.
Locally, abstinence-only groups like More2Life have seen their federal funds dry up. But they are still moving forward with plans in the Tampa Bay area, hoping to raise private funds from parents and churches to keep their message going.
Even critics of the Bush-style sex talks such as the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy liked this study, saying in a statement that, "Importantly, the study also shows that this particular abstinence-only program did not reduce condom use among the young teens who did have sex.”
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
[Photo: Picapp.com]
Loading...Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Video
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
