Abstinence only sex education works new study finds

[del]

sure, it's a study run by some religious wingnut zealot at some christian cow college, but it seems that abstinence only sex education is much more effective in preventing teen pregnancies and STDs than either traditional general health courses or courses that focus on safe sex.
it should also be noted that abstinence in this case does not refer to abstinence until marriage.

next thing you know, there'll be pictures of dinosaurs with jesus.

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“This is a rigorous study that means we can now say that it’s possible for an abstinence-only intervention to be effective,” Dr. John B. Jemmott III, the University of Pennsylvania professor who led the study, said Tuesday, hours after results of the study were released. “That’s important, because for some populations, abstinence is the only acceptable message.”

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Found to Delay Sex - NYTimes.com

 

[Modbert]

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex

Something sounds fishy. Like there's some sort of variable that is gaming the results. Oh, wait.

Dr. Jemmott’s research followed 662 African-American students at urban middle schools, who were paid $20 a session to attend the classes, plus follow-up and evaluation sessions. The abstinence-only classes covered HIV, abstinence and ways to resist the pressure to have sex.

That would be it.

 

[del]

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex

Something sounds fishy. Like there's some sort of variable that is gaming the results. Oh, wait.

Dr. Jemmott’s research followed 662 African-American students at urban middle schools, who were paid $20 a session to attend the classes, plus follow-up and evaluation sessions. The abstinence-only classes covered HIV, abstinence and ways to resist the pressure to have sex.

That would be it.

so anyone who is paid to participate in a study is gaming the results?

i like you doggie, but sometimes you just don't know what the fuck you're talking about. all the students in all of the classes were paid.

try again.

 

[Modbert]

so anyone who is paid to participate in a study is gaming the results?

i like you doggie, but sometimes you just don't know what the fuck you're talking about. all the students in all of the classes were paid.

try again.

I was joking about the gaming part Del.

Though the paid part isn't what I was pointing out. I was pointing out that only African Americans were involved in this, which may help or hurt the results.

 

[Bill O'Olberman]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e24fYOXzk1I]YouTube - Bill Maher - Abstinence Pledge[/ame]

Warning. Its Bill Maher and the language is kinda crude but funny none the less.

Young people are going to have sex and the best thing that adults can do for them is prepare them with as much knowledge as possible, most importantly on the proper use and availability of contraceptives as well as ways to prevent STDs.

 

[del]

YouTube - Bill Maher - Abstinence Pledge

Warning. Its Bill Maher and the language is kinda crude but funny none the less.

Young people are going to have sex and the best thing that adults can do for them is prepare them with as much knowledge as possible, most importantly on the proper use and availability of contraceptives as well as ways to prevent STDs.

which is exactly what the abstinence class taught in this study.
from the link

"Ms. Brown noted that the abstinence-only classes in the Jemmott study centered on people with an average age of 12 and that unlike the federally supported abstinence programs now in use, did not advocate abstinence until marriage.

The classes also did not portray sex negatively or suggest that condoms are ineffective, and contained only medically accurate information. Dr. Jemmott’s abstinence-only course was designed for the research, and is not in current use in schools. "

i teach (or more accurately, facilitate) a sex education program for kids in this age group that was developed by the UUA and UUC. we cover STDs, proper use of birth control, resisting peer pressure to have sex, etc. etc.

we don't preach abstinence, but we do try to make the kids realize the enormity of the decision to become sexually active and the possible consequences of that decision beyond the obvious. we call it advocating for delay.

if you're interested, here's a link to the program.

UUA: Our Whole Lives

 

[Ravi]

The problem with this news article is that it is claiming something that isn't true. The program wasn't an abstinence only program.

Other parts of the study's methodology is flawed. Easy enough to google to discover the flaws but here is one commentary on it.

Study Shows Abstinence Sex Education Works, But Not Well Enough - Robert Schlesinger (usnews.com)

Sorry, Jesus will not be appearing on a dinosaur any time soon.

At least that's what studies show.

 

[Modbert]

which is exactly what the abstinence class taught in this study.
from the link

"Ms. Brown noted that the abstinence-only classes in the Jemmott study centered on people with an average age of 12 and that unlike the federally supported abstinence programs now in use, did not advocate abstinence until marriage.

The classes also did not portray sex negatively or suggest that condoms are ineffective, and contained only medically accurate information. Dr. Jemmott’s abstinence-only course was designed for the research, and is not in current use in schools. "

i teach (or more accurately, facilitate) a sex education program for kids in this age group that was developed by the UUA and UUC. we cover STDs, proper use of birth control, resisting peer pressure to have sex, etc. etc.

we don't preach abstinence, but we do try to make the kids realize the enormity of the decision to become sexually active and the possible consequences of that decision beyond the obvious. we call it advocating for delay.

if you're interested, here's a link to the program.

UUA: Our Whole Lives

You can get your own show and be the next Dr. Phil! Without the whole fraud douche part.

 

[del]

so anyone who is paid to participate in a study is gaming the results?

i like you doggie, but sometimes you just don't know what the fuck you're talking about. all the students in all of the classes were paid.

try again.

I was joking about the gaming part Del.

Though the paid part isn't what I was pointing out. I was pointing out that only African Americans were involved in this, which may help or hurt the results.

they chose african americans because statistically, they are more likely to become sexually active at a younger age.

 

[Vast LWC]

sure, it's a study run by some religious wingnut zealot at some christian cow college, but it seems that abstinence only sex education is much more effective in preventing teen pregnancies and STDs than either traditional general health courses or courses that focus on safe sex.
it should also be noted that abstinence in this case does not refer to abstinence until marriage.

next thing you know, there'll be pictures of dinosaurs with jesus.

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“This is a rigorous study that means we can now say that it’s possible for an abstinence-only intervention to be effective,” Dr. John B. Jemmott III, the University of Pennsylvania professor who led the study, said Tuesday, hours after results of the study were released. “That’s important, because for some populations, abstinence is the only acceptable message.”

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Found to Delay Sex - NYTimes.com

Now I personally would not instantly put aside these findings.

One should note, however, that the abstinence class used in the study was very different from those used in any school curriculum.

From the article.

Ms. Brown noted that the abstinence-only classes in the Jemmott study centered on people with an average age of 12 and that unlike the federally supported abstinence programs now in use, did not advocate abstinence until marriage.

The classes also did not portray sex negatively or suggest that condoms are ineffective, and contained only medically accurate information. Dr. Jemmott’s abstinence-only course was designed for the research, and is not in current use in schools.

That being said, it is interesting that an abstinence program would delay sex in very early teens, which is what this study shows.

However, many other studies have shown that abstinence only courses have little to no effect at all, such as the one found here:

Abstinence education doesn't work: report | Reuters

And here:

Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds - washingtonpost.com

And there have been other studies showing that, although abstinence-only education may cause a delay in sexual activity, it leads to higher rates of teen pregnancy and STDs, after the delay in sexual activity was over.

Many Teens Who Take 'Virginity Pledges' Substitute Other High-Risk Behavior for Intercourse, Study Says

Although teenagers who take "virginity pledges" begin engaging in vaginal intercourse later than teens who have not committed to remain abstinent until marriage, they also are more likely to engage in oral or anal sex than nonpledging virgin teens and less likely to use condoms once they become sexually active...

...The study -- also based on data from the NLSAH -- found that, although teens who made the pledges had sexual intercourse an average of 18 months later than teens who did not take a pledge and averaged fewer sexual partners overall, they had similar rates of STDs.

 

[Modbert]

they chose african americans because statistically, they are more likely to become sexually active at a younger age.

Well yes. But we've already discussed in private how that can change the entire study.

Though I did miss the part about where they were not turning it into what one would consider the usual abstinence only sex education such as saying condoms are ineffective, or not even advocating it until marriage.

 

[Vast LWC]

they chose african americans because statistically, they are more likely to become sexually active at a younger age.

Well yes. But we've already discussed in private how that can change the entire study.

Though I did miss the part about where they were not turning it into what one would consider the usual abstinence only sex education such as saying condoms are ineffective, or not even advocating it until marriage.

It is true that only including a certain segment of a population in a study can have unexpected consequences on the results.

For instance, let's say they did a study on smoking, but only included African Americans. Now, it is much more common for African Americans to smoke menthol cigarettes, and that fact would certainly create different results from the rest of the smoking population in any area that related to menthol.

 

[bobbcat]

Having been in middle school in the late '60's (called 'junior high' at that time) the sex ed curriculum I was exposed to was excellent (central FL public school system), featuring very graphic video coverage of all STDs known at that time, plus a quite moving program (short movie, actually) featuring a teenaged girl awakening one morning to morning sickness commonly associated with early pregnancy. One is then taken through flashbacks of her joyous romps in the hay (literally, in a barn) with her boyfriend du jour. The story then takes one through two scenarios where she broaches the subject with her parents of being pregnant where, in one, they react with support and the other where they react with anger and disdain. Story then cuts to the present time where she prepares to talk to her parents, then it ends right there, leaving the conclusion of the story up to one's imagination. That movie (plus all the education on the STDs) did more to guide me towards a more circumspect approach to sexual activity than anything that came out of my very conservative parents' mouths.

 

[del]

The problem with this news article is that it is claiming something that isn't true. The program wasn't an abstinence only program.

Other parts of the study's methodology is flawed. Easy enough to google to discover the flaws but here is one commentary on it.

Study Shows Abstinence Sex Education Works, But Not Well Enough - Robert Schlesinger (usnews.com)

Sorry, Jesus will not be appearing on a dinosaur any time soon.

At least that's what studies show.

while i'm sure mr schlesinger enjoyed taking a swipe at the departed mr bush,
he adds nothing to the debate. no, it wasn't an abstinance only program in the benighted sense of the late bush administration, but it did advocate for waiting until *you* felt ready and strategies for dealing with peer pressure.
i can't access the study, but i would be very surprised and disappointed if the abstinence group did not receive information on forms of birth control as part of the STD curriculum.

as i mentioned in an earlier post, i teach a sexuality course for middle schoolers and we only hope to equip them to make safe, intelligent choices about when and how to become sexually active. it seems to me that dr. jemmott may have made a contribution to that.

 

[RadiomanATL]

as i mentioned in an earlier post, i teach a sexuality course for middle schoolers

 

[del]

as i mentioned in an earlier post, i teach a sexuality course for middle schoolers

i'm sorry, i'll type slower so you can keep up.

 

[RadiomanATL]

as i mentioned in an earlier post, i teach a sexuality course for middle schoolers

i'm sorry, i'll type slower so you can keep up.

So why'dja bring the wine coolers?



(del, it's a joke, lighten up)

 

[HUGGY]

sure, it's a study run by some religious wingnut zealot at some christian cow college, but it seems that abstinence only sex education is much more effective in preventing teen pregnancies and STDs than either traditional general health courses or courses that focus on safe sex.
it should also be noted that abstinence in this case does not refer to abstinence until marriage.

next thing you know, there'll be pictures of dinosaurs with jesus.

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“This is a rigorous study that means we can now say that it’s possible for an abstinence-only intervention to be effective,” Dr. John B. Jemmott III, the University of Pennsylvania professor who led the study, said Tuesday, hours after results of the study were released. “That’s important, because for some populations, abstinence is the only acceptable message.”

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Found to Delay Sex - NYTimes.com

I don't suppose there is any corolation between the kind of dork that would enroll in an abstinance course and a normal kid. Ya ...good luck with managing teen hormones..

Religious people are so far beyond stupid it boggles the mind.

 

[RadiomanATL]

sure, it's a study run by some religious wingnut zealot at some christian cow college, but it seems that abstinence only sex education is much more effective in preventing teen pregnancies and STDs than either traditional general health courses or courses that focus on safe sex.
it should also be noted that abstinence in this case does not refer to abstinence until marriage.

next thing you know, there'll be pictures of dinosaurs with jesus.

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“This is a rigorous study that means we can now say that it’s possible for an abstinence-only intervention to be effective,” Dr. John B. Jemmott III, the University of Pennsylvania professor who led the study, said Tuesday, hours after results of the study were released. “That’s important, because for some populations, abstinence is the only acceptable message.”

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Found to Delay Sex - NYTimes.com

I don't suppose there is any corolation between the kind of dork that would enroll in an abstinance course and a normal kid. Ya ...good luck with managing teen hormones..

Religious people are so far beyond stupid it boggles the mind.

You pay me to go to class, I'll attend damn near any lecture you want me to.

 

[HUGGY]

sure, it's a study run by some religious wingnut zealot at some christian cow college, but it seems that abstinence only sex education is much more effective in preventing teen pregnancies and STDs than either traditional general health courses or courses that focus on safe sex.
it should also be noted that abstinence in this case does not refer to abstinence until marriage.

next thing you know, there'll be pictures of dinosaurs with jesus.

A study of middle-school students that found for the first time that abstinence-only education helped to delay their sexual initiation is already beginning to shake up the longstanding debate over how best to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“This is a rigorous study that means we can now say that it’s possible for an abstinence-only intervention to be effective,” Dr. John B. Jemmott III, the University of Pennsylvania professor who led the study, said Tuesday, hours after results of the study were released. “That’s important, because for some populations, abstinence is the only acceptable message.”

In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to comprehensive sex-education classes, covering both abstinence and safer sex, about 42 percent began having sex.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Found to Delay Sex - NYTimes.com

I don't suppose there is any corolation between the kind of dork that would enroll in an abstinance course and a normal kid. Ya ...good luck with managing teen hormones..

Religious people are so far beyond stupid it boggles the mind.

You pay me to go to class, I'll attend damn near any lecture you want me to.

You are going to go to jail if you try to enroll in a jr high school and try to attend this titilating coarse. One of the only things worth being a teen ager guy is that you can legally dog teenage girls and act like a teenager and nobody cares. You try it Radio man and you are gonna geet a chi-mo jacket!