Abstinence-only sex education in the United States Sexual abstinence

abstinence-only sex education form of sex education teaches abstinence sex, , excludes many other types of sexual , reproductive health education, particularly regarding birth control , safe sex. education programs focus exclusively on abstinence have hardly been shown delay sexual activity. such programs promote sexual abstinence until marriage , condemn use of contraceptives. comprehensive sex education, contrast, covers use of contraceptives abstinence.

organizations such siecus have called abstinence-only programs fear-based, , designed control young people’s sexual behavior instilling fear, shame, , guilt. author judith levine has argued there might natural tendency of abstinence educators escalate messages: advertising, must continually jack seduction stay visible other advertising proliferates, abstinence education had make sex scarier , scarier and, @ same time, chastity sweeter.

in spite of these criticisms, federal government support has made abstinence de facto focus of sex education in united states, opponents adopt line abstinence education acceptable if combined other methods, such instruction in use of condoms, , easy availability thereof. nations of western europe use more comprehensive measures, , in sharp contrast heated discussion in u.s., abstinence hardly discussed educational measure.

a u.s. federal government-promoted abstinence-only program aimed @ teens in 1981 in order discourage premarital sex , unwanted pregnancies. however, recent studies conducted mathematica policy research, showed ineffectiveness of program. responsible education life act introduced senator frank lautenberg (d-nj) , representatives barbara lee (d-ca) , christopher shays (r-ct) support age-appropriate sexual education. program focused provide teenagers science-based information on sexual health, can make sound decision regarding sex-life.

in 2006, george w. bush administration expanded abstinence programs teens adults, introducing programs encourage unmarried adults remain abstinent until marriage. family-planning advocates , researchers denounced program unrealistic, due rising age of first-time marriage in united states. in 2009, barack obama administration removed of funding sexual-abstinence education, , instead used money fund office of adolescent health, designed prevent teenage pregnancy through evidence-based programs.

in 2010, university of pennsylvania researchers released model study showing abstinence programs can effective. study randomly assigned middle-school students eight-hour abstinence curriculum , others sex-ed programs included contraceptives , mixed messages. penn researchers found abstinence-only offering reduced subsequent sexual activity one-third more other programs.

popularity , effectiveness

the advent of aids helped build more favorable view of abstinence. however, review of 13 u.s. sex-abstinence programs involving on 15,000 people oxford university found not stop risky sexual behavior, or in prevention of unwanted pregnancy. other studies have found abstinence-only education little affect age of sexual initiation; number of sexual partners; , rates of sexual abstinence, condom use,

vaginal sex, pregnancy, , sexually transmitted infections (stis) recently, united states congress found similar results in study conducted mathematica policy research on abstinence. currently, there issues abstinence means: abstinence sexual intercourse, or sexual behavior? movements such true love waits in america, ask teenagers refrain sex before marriage, heavily subscribed, surveys of sexual behavior indicate increase in popularity of oral sex.