ABSTINENCE - ONLY SEX EDUCATION IS NOT ENOUGH.

• Position: Youth need to know about contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases - Brief Article

Public school sexuality education teachers report that the focus on abstinence-only instruction increased markedly during the 1990s. According to a study by The Alan Guttmacher Institute, while some topics--HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), abstinence, correct condom use, and how to resist peer pressure to have intercourse--are being taught earlier than they were a decade ago, most are still taught less often and in later grades than teachers think they should be. Moreover, instruction in all grades is much less likely to cover birth control, abortion, how to obtain contraceptive and STD services, and sexual orientation than it was in the late 1980s.

"Teachers on the front line in high schools around the country recognize that young people need a range of information to support them in making responsible decisions regarding their sexuality," comments AGI president Sara Seims. "Yet, this study reveals that teachers are covering far less, far later than they believe is needed. Our findings are particularly disheartening, considering that abstinence accounted for about one-quarter of the recent drop in the U.S. teenage pregnancy rate, while improved contraceptive use was responsible for the rest. And the teenage pregnancy rate and adolescent rates of STDs remain high. Abstinence messages are very important, but clearly the coverage of contraceptive topics is also crucial in helping our youth prevent unplanned pregnancy and STDs."

When asked what they consider their most important messages, four in 10 teachers cited abstinence. Seven in 10 think that students who receive education that stresses abstinence are less likely to have intercourse than those who do not. At the same time, 86% believe that students who are taught to use contraceptives if they are sexually active are more likely to do so than youngsters who do not receive similar...