Comprehensive Sex Education Students Less Likely To Have Teen Pregnancies, Study Says

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 26 Mar 2008 - 8:00 PST

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An analysis of a 2002 federal survey has found that heterosexual teenagers ages 15 to 19 who received comprehensive sex education were about half as likely to report pregnancies as teens who received abstinence-only sex education or no sex education, the Seattle Times reports. The study also found that neither comprehensive sex education nor abstinence-only education appeared to affect teens' risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

According to the Times, the study -- conducted by Pamela Kohler and colleagues from the University of Washington -- is the first national comparison of the effectiveness of comprehensive versus abstinence-only education. Kohler and colleagues analyzed the records of 1,719 heterosexual teens who completed the survey. Sixty-seven percent of the teens completed comprehensive sex education courses, 24% received abstinence-only education and 9% received no sex education. After factoring in age, family makeup, gender and race differences, researchers found teens receiving comprehensive sex education were 60% less likely to report pregnancies than teens receiving no sex education and 50% less likely to report a pregnancy than teens receiving abstinence-only education.

The study "echoes" previous research that has found the federal government's promotion of abstinence-only education during the previous 10 years has had little effect on preventing teens from having sex, the Times reports. Abstinence messages are "not working and we've got to stop it," Carole Miller, vice president of education for Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, said, adding, "There are kids getting hurt by this." LeAnn Benn -- national director of Teen-Aid, which supports abstinence-only education -- questioned the study because she said teens who receive abstinence-only education still receive other messages that teen sex is acceptable as long as they practice safer sex.

An abstract of the study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is available online.

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