Abstinence sex ed back on the table?

by David Safier

Until now, most studies have concluded that abstinence-only sex education is both ineffective and potentially harmful. But a new study may add more value to abstinence education. And being a member of the fact-based community, I'm always willing to reconsider my previously held notions.

This one study is far from conclusive, but apparently it was conducted using the best social science standards, so it can't be discounted. One important fact is that the abstinence education message wasn't morality-based, and, though what I read doesn't say, I would hope it wasn't filled with misinformation about birth control measures or sexually transmitted diseases.

The 12 and 13 year olds who were part of the study had lower sexual activity if they participated in the abstinence education program as opposed to safe-sex education or a mixture of the two. It doesn't mention whether students who participated in the various education models and were sexually active used birth control in greater or lesser numbers, or if there was a difference in rates of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

This is a small study, and the students all took a single 8 hour class rather than being offered the material in a school setting. The right wing will probably crow about it, but the findings are still very tentative. However, they merit further study.