Sex ed programs actually can work

A growing number of sex education programs that support abstinence and the use of contraception for sexually active teens have shown positive effects in delaying first intercourse, improving contraceptive use, and preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, according to a report released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Washington, D.C. Other interventions--several that mention sex little or not at all--also have shown effective results.

Two-thirds of sex education programs examined in the report that focus on abstinence and contraception had a positive effect on teen sexual behavior. For example, they delayed the initiation of sex, improved contraceptive use, or did both. Despite the concerns of many adults, none of the programs that discussed abstinence and contraception hastened the initiation of sex or increased the frequency of sex among teens.

The report also notes that, at present, there is no strong evidence that programs that stress abstinence as the only acceptable behavior for unmarried teens delay the initiation of sex, hasten the return to abstinence, or reduce the number of sexual partners.

Other results from the report include:

* Teen girls and young women who receive emergency contraception from clinics in advance of having sex are not more likely to have sex and are more likely to use emergency contraception if they do have sex than those who do not receive emergency contraception in advance.

* Some longer sex education videos that are interactive and viewed many times can have a positive effect on teen sexual behavior.

* School-based and -linked clinics and school condom-availability programs do not increase sexual activity, but it is not clear whether they increase the use of contraception.

* Programs for parents and their teens sometimes reduce risky sexual behavior among teens by delaying sex or increasing contraceptive use.

* Most programs that are effective at changing behavior give a clear message about avoiding risky sexual behavior, either by abstaining from sex or by using contraception.

* There now are several sex education programs that have been evaluated multiple times. Results suggest that, when the original programs are replicated carefully in similar settings with similar populations of young people, the program's positive effects on teen sexual behavior also can be replicated.

"Teen pregnancy and birth rates have declined by about one-third since the early 1990s--a remarkable success story," indicates Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign. "Even so, it is still the case that one in three girls in the U.S. gets pregnant by age 20. Given the nation's stubbornly high rate of teen pregnancy, it is most welcome news that the menu of proven, research-based interventions that help young people make better decisions about sex, pregnancy, and parenthood is expanding."

COPYRIGHT 2008 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning