Running Head​: IS ​TEACHING ABSTINENCE-ONLY OR COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION 1

Is Teaching Abstinence-Only Or Comprehensive Sex Education

Effective In Preventing Teen Pregnancy

Candice S. Varga

Salt Lake Community College

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The procedure for sex education in public schools is a heavily debated topic by

government officials, medical professionals, scientific researchers, and parents of the students

who are taught. Currently, there are no federal laws in place to dictate sex education in public

schools, and state and local governments are expected to, but not responsible for, establishing the

protocol for sex education in every school under their jurisdiction. Additionally, only a limited

number of public schools provide their students with the sexual education topics, suggested by

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, necessary to maintain the health of students and

young adults (Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 2019). The lack of legal consistency in

techniques and procedures for teaching sex education, provides the general population with

enough cause to create a major controversy surrounding the topic. The topics that are up for

debate include how students should be taught, what information, if any, should be provided

about sex, and whether to inform students about safe sex and contraception. There are two forms

of sex education that are currently used in public school programs, abstinence-only education,

and comprehensive sex education. Both forms of education have the intention of reducing teen

pregnancy rates by promoting abstinence, but only comprehensive sex education is shown to

succeed, and provide students with the recommended sex education they need to remain safe and

informed.

Abstinence-only education programs are funded by the United States government as an

attempt to reduce teen pregnancy rates. They include Abstinence Only Until Marriage (AOUM),

and Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) programs, which outline the topics that should be discussed

by educators regarding sexual abstinence (Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF], 2018). Federal

programs that fund abstinence education are a result of the high teen pregnancy rates in the U.S.,

a number that while declining, had been the highest in the developed world up to year 2011(K.

Hall & D. Hall, 2011). The U.S government has consistently funded programs for abstinence
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education with the aim of decreasing this number. However, according to the Journal of Public

Health Policy, 93% of Americans support comprehensive sex education, and a majority of

teenagers believe exclusively teaching abstinence is ineffective at preventing sexual activity

(Perrin & DeJoy, 2003). Detailed by the KFF, the federal guide to abstinence education

emphasizes instruction on the health, psychological and social advantages that can come from

the abnegation of sex before marriage. In order for a state to receive funding from the federal

government for SRA and AOUM programs, they must comply with the terms for approved

abstinence education. Educators are expected to provide students with helpful methods to avoid

sexual advances, relate the harmful psychological and physical consequences of sex before

marriage, and unless it is in regard to the statistics of failure, they must refrain from informing

students about safe-sex practices and contraception (KFF, 2018). The effectiveness of both

abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education have been analyzed by comparing each state’s

method of sex education, and the correlation between the method used and rates of teen

pregnancy. Published in the National Library of Medicine, K. Hall and D. Hall (2011) provide

the results of this collected national data, and have concluded that abstinence-only education has

been ineffective in reducing teen pregnancy rates and sexual activity in the states that primarily

use the method. Derived from their research, K. Hall and D. Hall (2011) conclude, “National

data show that the incidence of teenage pregnancies remain positively correlated with the degree

of abstinence education across states: The more strongly abstinence is emphasized in state laws

and policies, the higher the average teenage pregnancy and birth rate.” The deducible research

confirms abstinence-only education has proven to be unsuccessful, and implies a relationship

between abstinence-only education and continuance of teen pregnancy.

The objective of abstinence-only education is to lower the rate of unwanted pregnancies

and STIs by discouraging any sexual activity until heterosexual marriage. In abstinence
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education, remaining celibate until marriage is promoted as the socially and morally accepted

standard for sexual activity. The main argument for abstinence-only education underlines

abstinence as the only proven method that can be used to completely stop the plague of unwanted

pregnancy, and contraction of STIs in adolescents and unmarried adults. Supporters of

abstinence-only are concerned with the implications toward sexual activity that other forms of

sex education could promote. Particularly, that comprehensive sex education encourages sexual

activity. According to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (2019), abstinence programs aren’t

successful in discouraging sexual activity in teens, and the students who are informed about both

contraception and abstinence are more likely to abstain from sex.

The American Academy of Pediatrics defines sex education, and provides an example of

the topics that should be explored in any effective sex education program, “Sexuality education

is defined as teaching about human sexuality, including intimate relationships, human sexual

anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, sexual activity, sexual orientation,

gender identity, abstinence, contraception, and reproductive rights and responsibilities” (Breuner

& Mattson, 2016). This definition of proper sex education includes every aspect of a person’s

sexual orientation and gender identity, technical information regarding human anatomy and

reproduction, and provides the student with the knowledge they need in order to engage in safe,

consensual and responsible sexual activity. Recent studies have concluded that the use of

abstinence-only education is not only ineffective in preventing sexual activity, it is

psychologically and physically harmful to adolescents who are neglected from receiving

inclusive, accurate health advice (Burns, 2017). The suggestion of nearly every established

medical professional expresses that comprehensive sex education is the only method proven to

decrease teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, by promoting abstinence and proper

use of contraception.
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Resources

Hall K.F & Hall D.W (October, 14 2011) Abstinence-Only Education and Teen

Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S. Retrieved

from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3194801/

Planned Parenthood Action Fund. (2019) Sex Education Laws and State Attacks &

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs. Retrieved from

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org

Breuner C.C & Mattson G. (August, 2016) Sexuality Education for Children and Adolescents

Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/2/e20161348.long

Burns, J. (August, 2017) Research Confirms That Abstinence-Only Education Hurts Kids

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2017/08/23/research-

confirms-the-obvious-that-abstinence-only-education-hurts-kids/#390e0b996615

Perrin, K., & DeJoy, S. (2003) Abstinence-Only Education: How We Got Here and Where We're

Going. Journal of Public Health Policy. Retrieved from

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3343387?read-now=1&seq=8#metadata_info_tab_contents

Kaiser, H.J. (2018) Abstinence Education Programs: Definition, Funding, and Impact on Teen

Sexual Behavior. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet

/abstinence-education-programs-definition-funding-and-impact-on-teen-sexual-behavior/
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