Sex Education: Needs,

Programs and Policies

The Guttmacher Institute
July 2005

The Need to Help Young People

Make Healthy Decisions

Young people are at high risk of

unintended pregnancy and STDs for
many years

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Sex Education

Many teenagers experience

pregnancy and STDs
More than 800,000 women younger than 20 become
pregnant each year
80% of these pregnancies are unintended
Nine million teenagers and young adults acquire an
STD each year
Two young people every hour become infected with
HIV
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The teenage pregnancy rate is

going down

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Both abstinence and contraceptive

use are responsible for the decline in
teenage pregnancy
53% of the decline was due to more
teens choosing to delay sexual activity
47% of the decline was due to more
effective contraceptive use

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The proportion of high school students

who have had sex has declined

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The proportion of sexually active high

school students who use condoms
has risen

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U.S. teenagers have higher rates of

pregnancy, birth and abortion than teenagers
in most other developed countries

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Why Do U.S. Teenagers Fare

Worse Than Teenagers in Other
Developed Countries?

Levels of teenage sexual activity across

developed countries are similar

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but U.S. teenagers have higher

rates of unintended pregnancy and
STDs because they
Are less likely to use contraceptives
Have shorter relationships
Have more sexual partners

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What accounts for lower teenage

pregnancy and STD rates in other
countries?
Clear and unambiguous prevention
messages
Expectation that childbearing will be
delayed until adulthood
Societal supports for young people
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What accounts for lower teenage

pregnancy and STD rates in other
countries?
Greater access to contraceptive and
reproductive health services
Comprehensive sex education

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Sex Education in U.S. Public

Schools

Most school district policies promote

abstinence

Districts with a sex education policy

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School district sex education policies vary

widely by region

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There is a large gap between what

teachers believe should be covered in sex
education and what they actually teach

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Many sex education teachers do not

teach about contraception
One in four sex education teachers are
prohibited from teaching about
contraception
Four in 10 either do not teach about
contraceptive methods (including condoms)
or teach that they are ineffective

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Teachers who teach the effectiveness of

contraception are more likely to cover
key prevention topics

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Public Opinion

Americans overwhelmingly favor

broader sex education
93% of parents reported their child has
benefited from sex education
94% of parents say that sex education
should cover contraception
Only 15% of Americans want abstinenceonly education taught in the classroom
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Many teenage males do not receive

sex education before first sex

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Students say they need more sex

education in school than they
currently receive

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Support for comprehensive

sex education
American Medical Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Nurses Association
American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
National Institutes of Health
Institute of Medicine
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The Big Disconnect

Teachers, parents, students and health
organizations want young people to receive
comprehensive sex education.
Conservative groups and politicians are
promoting education in U.S. schools that
emphasizes abstinence and denies young
people accurate information about
contraception.

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U.S. Government Support for

Abstinence Education

The Federal Definition of

Abstinence Education
Abstinence educationhas as its
exclusive purpose, teaching the social,
psychological, and health gains to be
realized by abstaining from sexual
activity
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Total Federal Funding for

Abstinence EducationFY 2005
Welfare:
AFLA:
CBAE:
Total:

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$50 million
$13 million
$104 million
$167 million

Sex Education

Funding for abstinence-only sex

education has increased substantially
Funding $ in millions

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Federally funded abstinence

education programs mislead youth
Contraceptive effectiveness
Risks of abortion
STD incidence and transmission
Scientific facts
Medical evidence

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The Grand Total

Federal and matching state funding for
abstinence education that fails to include
accurate and complete information about
contraception has topped $1 billion since
1996.

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Effectiveness of
Sex Education

What do evaluations say about the

effectiveness of sex education?
No evidence shows that abstinence
without contraceptive education
effectively protects teenagers
Contraceptive education does not
encourage sexual activity

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What do evaluations say about the

effectiveness of sex education?
Considerable evidence that certain
programs that include abstinence and
contraceptive education help
teenagers
delay sexual activity
increase contraceptive use
reduce number of partners

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The Potential for Harm

Virginity pledges help some teens to
delay sexual activity, BUT
Most pledgers break their pledge, AND
Pledge-breakers are:
Less likely to use condoms or seek STD
care
More likely to engage in alternative
sexual behavior
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The Potential for Harm

HIV prevention messages that
promote only abstinence and not
condoms may result in more
unprotected sex than do safer-sex
messages.

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In Conclusion

A risk reduction approach to teenage

sexual activity remains vital
Sex among young people is common in the
United States and worldwide
Undermining confidence in contraception
threatens young peoples lives and health
Providing teens with medically accurate
information reduces their risk of STDs and
unwanted pregnancies
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Summary
Many U.S. teenagers experience unintended
pregnancy and STDs
Teenagers in other developed countries fare better
Abstinence education that omits accurate
information about contraceptives is prevalent
across the country
Many sex education teachers believe they are not
meeting students needs
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Summary
Current federal policy ignores public
opinion and research on what works
Only a balanced and comprehensive
approach will help teenagers to
become sexually healthy adults

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Major Sources
National Surveys
Youth Risk Behavior SurveyCenters for
Disease Control and Prevention
National Survey of Family Growth
National Center for Health Statistics
Surveys of school superintendents and
sex education teachersGuttmacher
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Survey of students and public opinion
Henry J. Kaiser Foundation
National Survey of Adolescent Males
Urban Institute
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Major Sources
Other Sources
Teenage pregnancy statistics
Guttmacher Institute
International birth and abortion
statistics from various sources
Evaluation researchNational Campaign
to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Federal law and policy
Statements on sex education from
national organizations
Policy analysisGuttmacher Institute
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This presentation was developed with

support from the Program on
Reproductive Health and Rights of
the Open Society Institute.

For more information, visit

www.guttmacher.org

References
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References
Slide 14: AGI, Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in Developed Countries: Can More
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References
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