Completely Useless
Findings indicate that youth in the program group were no more likely than control group youth to have abstained from sex and, among those who reported having had sex, they had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex at the same mean age.
In other words, abstinence-only sex education programs seem to have absolutely no effect on the sex behavior of kids who go through them. This is actually a better state of affairs than I expected; like a lot of critics of abstinence-only education, I was afraid that these programs would lead to more dangerous unprotected sex. It seems that they don’t have that negative outcome, or any negative outcome, or any outcome at all.
Maybe we can stop promoting them, then?
Popularity: 7% [?]
Of course we should keep promoting them! As Gary Rose, president of The Medical Institute (whatever that is) says:
“To the contrary, the report specifically indicates that programs should continue with changes where necessary to make them more effective, particularly ‘promoting support for abstinence among peer networks’ as an important feature.”
OF COURSE that’s what it says!!
But, wait! Didn’t I see ONE PERCENT change??? Yeah, well, I’m a parent who talks frankly with her children. I told my oldest that I don’t expect him to abstain, just be responsible and know what could happen. I’m not blind or dumb. I remember being a teenager and I know how easy it is to get caught up in your “feelings.” Not to mention as a Doula I’ve seen too many teen girls who said they wouldn’t have sex until they were married so they didn’t need to know how to protect themselves. And, well…