New Study says 'Abstinence-Only' works

[Missourian]

For the study, released Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers followed sixth and seventh graders in separate groups.

In one, the focus was abstinence; in the other, they taught contraception and safe sex.

Two years later, they talked to the kids again.

Scholars Call the Results 'Groundbreaking'

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News​

This study refers to a more consequences based form of 'abstinence only' education, but the results are still staggering.

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE
or the first 15 comments
before posting.

Thank you.

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[uscitizen]

Abstinance only works in 6th and 7th graders?

Does anyone else see something fundamentally wrong here?

 

[bodecea]

For the study, released Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers followed sixth and seventh graders in separate groups.

In one, the focus was abstinence; in the other, they taught contraception and safe sex.

Two years later, they talked to the kids again.

Scholars Call the Results 'Groundbreaking'

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News​

This study refers to a more consequences based form of 'abstinence only' education, but the results are still staggering.


​

Sixth and Seventh graders followed for TWO years. That will make them Eighth and Nineth Graders. I'd like to see the stats on older teens, if you please.

 

[uscitizen]

For the study, released Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers followed sixth and seventh graders in separate groups.

In one, the focus was abstinence; in the other, they taught contraception and safe sex.

Two years later, they talked to the kids again.

Scholars Call the Results 'Groundbreaking'

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News​

This study refers to a more consequences based form of 'abstinence only' education, but the results are still staggering.


​

Sixth and Seventh graders followed for TWO years. That will make them Eighth and Nineth Graders. I'd like to see the stats on older teens, if you please.

Yeah get back to us in a couple more years with "The rest of the story".

 

[Missourian]

You don't expect this obvious trend to continue?

Why?

What do you think will change?

 

[uscitizen]

Hormone levels.

 

[bodecea]

You don't expect this obvious trend to continue?

Why?

What do you think will change?

Their age, their freedom from constant supervision, their hormones.

 

[rdean]

For the study, released Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers followed sixth and seventh graders in separate groups.

In one, the focus was abstinence; in the other, they taught contraception and safe sex.

Two years later, they talked to the kids again.

Scholars Call the Results 'Groundbreaking'

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News​

This study refers to a more consequences based form of 'abstinence only' education, but the results are still staggering.


​

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

And those "half", if they are having sex, know how to protect themselves from pregnancy and disease.

The "third" of the AO, are a cesspool of underweight babies, gonorrhea, syphilis and AIDS.

NEXT!

 

[del]

You don't expect this obvious trend to continue?

Why?

"But in this study, the teachers didn't take it that far. They purposely stayed away from religion, morality and marriage. For example, they did not preach waiting for sex until marriage or disparage using condoms.

A Different Approach to an Age-Old Subject
Instead, the study took a less traditional approach, discussing the drawbacks to having sex early, such as unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Teachers even made kids list the pros and cons of having sex themselves.

"We began by talking to children and trying to understand their motivations, reasons for engaging in the behaviors from their perspectives," says John Jemmott III, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead author of the study.

"[Researchers] simply said delay," Brown says. "Wait a bit. Sex is serious. It has risks. And we just recommend you wait until you're older."

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News

this is very similar to the approach that we use in a sex education program developed for the UU church called our whole lives, or owl. we discuss the pressure to have sex at an early age, give kids strategies and tools to resist pressure and let them think for themselves about the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. we do NOT preach abstinence, but we do always say that waiting is better than not waiting, and that no one of any age should have unprotected sex.

one of the exercises we use to emphasize the consequences of unprotected sex involves a bag of red and green candies. the candies represent the outcome of unprotected sex. red is pregnant, green is not pregnant.

the ensuing discussion centers on what the consequences of being pregnant, or having impregnated someone as a teen will be. kids aren't stupid-they pretty much teach themselves why it's better to wait than to be sexually active at a young age. my students are a little older, grade 7-9, but over the years many of the kids have told us that this type of approach has made them more comfortable about deferring sex until THEY feel like they are mentally and emotionally equipped to handle it.

i guess the difference between our approach and a "safe sex only" approach is that many kids see a safe sex only approach as permission, if not encouragement, to engage in sexual activity. we provide the information needed to have safe sex, but as i stated before, "later is better" is our motto.

a traditional "abstinence only or abstinence until marriage" approach is unrealistic, IMO.

 

[Ravi]

For the study, released Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers followed sixth and seventh graders in separate groups.

In one, the focus was abstinence; in the other, they taught contraception and safe sex.

Two years later, they talked to the kids again.

Scholars Call the Results 'Groundbreaking'

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

New Study Says 'Abstinence Only' Works - ABC News​

This study refers to a more consequences based form of 'abstinence only' education, but the results are still staggering.


​

We did this subject a few weeks back. Turns out there was no "abstinence ONLY" course taught but rather a course taught where abstinence was encouraged while what to do if you caved was still discussed.

Which is the way most of us reasonable people have been saying was the best way to go about it.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

NO form of contraception works unless it's correctly practiced each and every time.

However, abstinence is the ONLY one that is 100% guaranteed to work each and every time it's practiced.

Problem with ALL contraceptives is, they are NOT used each and every time. None of them.

 

[California Girl]

Personally, I'd want to see more details on the research before I would comment on it.

 

[Missourian]

We did this subject a few weeks back. Turns out there was no "abstinence ONLY" course taught but rather a course taught where abstinence was encouraged while what to do if you caved was still discussed.

Which is the way most of us reasonable people have been saying was the best way to go about it.

I agree with that Ravi. I am not at all opposed to teaching safe sex.

But that doesn't explain the disparity between the group where abstinence was the focus and the group in which it wasn't.

 

[beowolfe]

Kids need both! According to the results in the article, 1/3 of the group receiving abstinence only education were having sex. I'm assuming that it's unprotected sex because of the sex ed they received. That's not good. So, if AOED can protect 2/3 the other 1/3 will need to know what they are doing and how to do it safely if we're going to get out of the unwed teen pregnancy epidemic that we have.


BTW, we also NEED to quit bombarding them with sex, sex, sex, in everything that's advertised!!

 

[del]

Kids need both! According to the results in the article, 1/3 of the group receiving abstinence only education were having sex. I'm assuming that it's unprotected sex because of the sex ed they received. That's not good. So, if AOED can protect 2/3 the other 1/3 will need to know what they are doing and how to do it safely if we're going to get out of the unwed teen pregnancy epidemic that we have.


BTW, we also NEED to quit bombarding them with sex, sex, sex, in everything that's advertised!!

you really ought to read the article, your assumption is flawed.

i agreee with you about advertising.

 

[Luissa]

Abstinence is working pretty well for me right now.

 

[Ravi]

We did this subject a few weeks back. Turns out there was no "abstinence ONLY" course taught but rather a course taught where abstinence was encouraged while what to do if you caved was still discussed.

Which is the way most of us reasonable people have been saying was the best way to go about it.

I agree with that Ravi. I am not at all opposed to teaching safe sex.

But that doesn't explain the disparity between the group where abstinence was the focus and the group in which it wasn't.

What is to explain, it is just common sense.

 

[Luissa]

I am with Ravi, I think teaching both works pretty well.

 

[beowolfe]

Kids need both! According to the results in the article, 1/3 of the group receiving abstinence only education were having sex. I'm assuming that it's unprotected sex because of the sex ed they received. That's not good. So, if AOED can protect 2/3 the other 1/3 will need to know what they are doing and how to do it safely if we're going to get out of the unwed teen pregnancy epidemic that we have.


BTW, we also NEED to quit bombarding them with sex, sex, sex, in everything that's advertised!!

you really ought to read the article, your assumption is flawed.

i agreee with you about advertising.

From the article:

Half the students learning about safe sex were now having sex, while only a third in the group focused on abstinence were engaged in sex.

So, if you're teaching AOSED, I don't think you're teaching the correct use of condoms, or birth control pills, are they? If not, then my assumption would seem correct. And I did read the article. Went back after your post and re-read it to make sure I didn't miss anything. I didn't see anywhere where it said the 1/3 that received AOSED and who were now having sex had been taught anything that would at least mitigate the undesirable outcomes from having unprotected sex.

 

[rikules]

You don't expect this obvious trend to continue?

Why?

What do you think will change?

what will change is their age and maturity

currently they are still midteenagers

but at some point they will be...18...20...21...24...

young adults

who will be out on their own
with jobs and careers
renting apartments

and involved in various relationships
including boy friends and girl friends
with whom they will most likely have sex
at least, they SHOULD have sex with them.

sexual education in schools should probably start in the 6th grade and should most definitely NOT be limited to "abstinance only"

though "abstinance until 'adulthood'" could be included as an option

abstinance until married is unrealistic and gives the FALSE impression that sex outside of marriage is "bad"

which we ALL know........it isn't!...

it's GOOOOOOOOD!