Annotated+Bibliography+for+Comprehensive+Sexual+Education+Results

Derek Butler

=An Annotated Bibliography: =

Citation: Stanger-Hall KF, Hall DW (2011) Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S. PLoS ONE 6(10): e24658. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024658

The research question I looked into was has there been a noticeable difference in teen pregnancy rates and STD rates in schools that have adopted a comprehensive sexual education program? Looking into this there is a public controversy in whether these programs are effective or not. Studies show that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. Government has funded abstinence-only sex education programs for more than a decade. “The National Institutes of Health, we propose the integration of comprehensive sex and STD education into the biology curriculum in middle and high school science classes and a parallel social studies curriculum that addresses risk-aversion behaviors and planning for the future.”(Stanger-Hall) Some argue that sex education that covers safe sexual practices, such as condom use, sends a mixed message to students and promotes sexual activity. The article never made it clear in answering the question, but it gave us tables that showed state policy's weren't doing anything to keep the rates down and that people believe adopting a comprehensive sexual education has already helped and is the future answer in bring these rates down.

Citation: Clemmitt, M. (2010, March 26). Teen pregnancy. CQ Researcher, 20, 265-288. Retrieved from http://0-library.cqpress.com.helin.uri.edu/cqresearcher/ Studies overwhelmingly have found little or no evidence that abstinence only courses change teen sexual behavior in ways that would avert pregnancies or the spread of STDs. But abstinence education supporters say most studies take a too-narrow view of what constitutes reliable evidence. Some research, they say, has found good effects from abstinence only programs."For example, in 2007 a congressionally mandated study of four federally funded abstinence programs, conducted by Mathematica, a Princeton, N.J.-based research company, found that abstinence programs did not prevent children in elementary and middle school from changing behaviors that raise teens' risk pregnancies. Specifically, it found that upper-elementary and middle-school students who completed abstinence programs were no more likely than those who didn't take the classes to abstain from sex, delay sex or have fewer sexual partners. The result was the same both in schools where there was little information available on sex and contraception outside of the abstinence program and in schools where students got a great deal of such information, in health classes and elsewhere"(Clemmitt, M. (2010, March 26)

Citation: Kohler et al. “Abstinence-only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4): 344-351.

Many people believe that a comprehensive based sex education is the way to go. Studies of comprehensive sex education programs show that these programs can help youth delay onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use. Importantly, the evidence shows youth who receive comprehensive sex education are NOT more likely to become sexually active, increase sexual activity, or experience negative sexual health outcomes. "Researchers studied the National Survey of Family Growth to determine the impact of sexuality education on youth sexual risk-taking for young people ages 15-19, and found that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education" This article has different studies and give us numbers on the decreases but it also gives us the counter argument to if these sex education programs actually work which some believe they do and some believe they don't

Citation: Alford S et al. [|Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections]. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2003, 2008

Advocates for Youth undertook looked at a handful of schools and compiled a list of programs that have been proven effective by rigorous evaluation. Twenty-six effective programs were identified, twenty-three of which included comprehensive sex education as at least one component of the program. Of those twenty-three effective programs "Fourteen programs demonstrated a statistically significant delay in the timing of first sex. 13 programs showed statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV, or other STIs.14 programs helped sexually active youth to increase their use of condoms.9 programs demonstrated success at increasing use of contraception other than condoms.13 programs showed reductions in the number of sex partners and/or increased monogamy among program participants.10 programs helped sexually active youth to reduce the incidence of unprotected sex" This site was able to give me information on schools that have had good results with adopting a comprehensive sex education program.

====Tamar, L. (2010, January 26). After long decline, teenage pregnancy rate rises. Retrieved from [] ====

====This article looks at the recently increase in teen pregnancy and raises the question: is abstinence helping decrease the pregancy rates? The article has the abstinence only side blaming today’s culture and a less fear of AIDS while the sex education side blames abstinence education and their lack of enlightening teenagers on contraception. This article was helpful in giving me information on the recent increase in teen pregnancy rates and also government funding for sex education that have adopted the abstinence sex education programs ==== ==== ====