ABSTINENCE EDUCATION

Abstinence education advocates abstinence as the 100% sure way to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The U.S. teen pregnancy rates have been decreasing since the 1990s, but of all of the developed countries in the world, the United States still has the highest teen pregnancy rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 19 million new STDs occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24. Teens with STDs are impacted emotionally and physically, and the annual medical cost directly attributed to STDs in the United States is well over $13 billion. Communities are looking for answers on how to address the complex issues of teen pregnancy and STDs. Abstinence education is seen as one such answer.
The premise of abstinence education is that abstinence is the best choice for youth when it comes to making sexual decisions. Schools and communities can decide what type of programming to provide to their young people. The current federal initiatives are driving the abstinence-until-marriage initiatives, and anyone receiving federal funding must adhere to specific guidelines. The evaluation of these programs shows some short-term impacts on attitudes and behavioral intent,
but long-term studies on behavior are mixed. This entry provides a general overview of sexuality education, abstinence education, federal funding for abstinence programming, guidelines for selecting programs, and evaluation of abstinence programs.
Sexuality and Abstinence Education
Parents are the primary educators of their children. Some parents may not feel comfortable broaching the topics with their children, may not have the factual knowledge to share with their children, or may not know how to talk to their children in a developmen-tally appropriate manner. Who else can teach the children? The vast majority of children attend public school, and schools are a logical place to provide sexuality education. Programming may be taught by teachers, health educators, nurses, doctors, or other credentialed professionals. No matter who is teaching the children, it is important for the school to verify the accuracy of the curriculum, evaluate the credentials of the provider, and be sure the curriculum meets with school district policies.
Sexuality education guidelines are typically established at the state level and carried out at the local level. Almost every state mandates sexuality education, and some mandate abstinence education. Districts and communities may choose from a range of programs, from comprehensive sexuality education programs—which may cover birth control, a range of sexual behaviors, gender identity, life skills, and anatomy and physiology—to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which only discuss sexual activity within the context of marriage. School districts typically create policies delineating what type of sexuality education will be taught in what grades and what topics will be covered. Most school districts allow students, with parental permission, to opt out of sexuality education.
Sexuality education has changed from the broader ranging comprehensive sexuality education in the 1970s to the current, more narrowly focused, federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs of the late 1990s and today. The change in program focus can be attributed to a concern among some parents and communities that comprehensive sexuality education was teaching students how to have sex or was sending the mixed message "Do not have sex— but if you do, be sure to use protection." Some of the disfavor arose from not clearly delineating what could and should be taught in the schools, that is, concerns over what was developmentally appropriate and what was the purview of the parent. Some people felt absti-nence education was a means of establishing moral purity and strengthening marriage.
Abstinence education proponents support the one message of abstinence from sex and do not want students to receive the mixed message "Yes, remain abstinent—but if you are not abstinent, then remember to use birth control." Many abstinence education programs do not discuss birth control except to describe their failure rates. Components of abstinence education programs can vary, but generally the focus is on the harm that comes from sexual intercourse and early sexual involvement. Depending on the school district, curricula components vary and may or may not include anatomy and physiology, life skills, communication skills, or refusal skills components.
The curricula are created by a variety of people, including teachers, school districts, health educators, faith-based groups, private businesses, or community members.
Abstinence-plus proponents believe abstinence is the best choice for young people when it comes to making decisions about sex. The "plus" in abstinence-plus often includes life skills components such as goal setting, life planning, communication, anatomy and physiology, and information on contraception. The plus component refers to the ability of the teacher to answer student questions, provide information about contraceptives, or possibly refer the student for information on contraceptives.
The philosophy of the current abstinence-only-until-marriage, also known as abstinence-only, programs is that sexual intercourse and sexual activity should happen only between a man and woman and only when they are married. There is no discussion of contraception except to discuss failure rates, and no programs may advocate for the use of contraceptives. Each program adheres to a set of guidelines as established by law in 1996. The next section discusses federal funding of abstinence-only programs and the program guidelines.


EDITOR Neil J. Salkind
Copyright © 2008 by SAGE Publications, Inc.




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