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  • Title: What's wrong with abstinence-only sexuality education programs?
    Author: Haffner DW.
    Journal: SIECUS Rep; 1997; 25(4):9-13. PubMed ID: 12319713.
    Abstract:
    The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) supports abstinence, but it does not support the abstinence-only sex education promoted by a new federally-funded $50 million program. SIECUS supports abstinence-based programs that place messages about abstinence in a comprehensive context, but it does not believe that fear-based, abstinence-only programs will achieve their goals. In a recent study, for example, a $5 million abstinence-only initiative in California actually resulted in an increased number of young people who engaged in sexual intercourse after taking the course. Comprehensive sexuality education offers young people the skills they need without encouraging them to engage in sexual intercourse or increase the frequency of intercourse. To be effective, such programs must begin before young people begin experimenting with sexual behavior, and program participation increases the number of young people who use contraceptives when they initiate sexual behavior. The most effective programs address abstinence, contraception, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) protection. The federal requirement that sex education teach that "abstinence from sexual activity" is the expected standard for all school-aged children ignores reality and is ambiguous. The statement that abstinence is "the only certain way to avoid" such "health problems" as pregnancy and STDs gives the impression that condoms and other contraceptives are ineffective; it could reverse the increase in young people's use of contraception at first intercourse from less than 50% in 1979 to more than 70% in 1990. It is equally unrealistic and unfounded to teach, as the program requires, that monogamy is the expected standard of human sexual behavior and that sexual activity outside of marriage is psychologically and physically harmful. SIECUS urges states to abstain from applying for these federal funds or, if the funds are used, to earmark them to programs for upper elementary and middle school students not yet engaged in sexual activity.
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