How+Effective+is+Sex+Education+on+Teens?

=**Kathleen Cotta**=

__** Scholarly/Professional Article **__
==** Silva, M. (2002). ** The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis. Health Education Research, 17(4), 471-481. Retrieved from []? ==

== This article, entitled “The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis,” reports the findings of a study on the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education among teens. The study is based on data taken in the United States over a course of fifteen years. It was discovered that sex education has had an effect on teen abstinence, but that it has been insignificant. There were a lot of confounding variables in the study, such as the sex, age and parental involvement in the lives of the participants. It was found that the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education was only significant for females with high parental involvement, which accounts for the small bit of effectiveness in the findings. It is hard to make a conclusive claim about the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education, however, because of the insignificance of the results. == == The article is relevant to my topic question, because it addresses the effectiveness of sex education, specifically abstinence-only sex education. It is a professional article that explores statistics that show the effectiveness of sex education and gives a conclusive sentence on the findings. ==

__Analysis Article__
== The Advisory Board Company (2009, November 10). CDC Report Finds Comprehensive Sex Education Programs Effective. //Medical News Today//. Retrieved from [] ==

== This article, from //Medical News Today//, discusses reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that show a positive correlation between sex education programs and the proportion of students practicing safe sex. According to the article, sex education promoting the use of safe sex and encouraging students to wait t have sex “ reduce risky sexual behavior, increase condom use and decrease spread of STIs.”== ==The article is relevant to my research question because it directly answers the question “How effective is sex education on teens?” It provides information based on research done by experts from the CDC to back up its claim.==

__Summary Article:__
== Hillier, L and Mitchell, A. (2008, May). "It Was as Useful as a Chocolate Kettle": Sex Education in the Lives of Same-Sex-Attracted Young People in Australia. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 8(2), 211–224. Retrieved from [|http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal]== ==[|/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_Related_0=EJ810969&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b80396583&accno=ED504200&_nfls=false]==

==This article questions the amount of exposure to sex education that homosexual individuals in Australia receive, and, if they don’t receive enough, whether or not it would make a difference in their sex lives in regards to safety. The article describes a survey taken by homosexual individuals in Australia about their experience with sex education in school and whether or not they felt it was effective. The conclusion is that most homosexual youth in Australia find sex education to be futile, and the data showed that these youth actually began to be sexually active at an earlier age than heterosexual students. Homosexual students don’t feel that sex education is taught in a way that applies to them.== ==The article is relevant to my topic because it explores the effectiveness of sex education not only in a different country, but for a minority type of sexual preference. It is a specific way of exploring my research question.==

__ Other Article: __
== Willenz, P. (2005, February 23). BASED ON THE RESEARCH, COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV INFECTION, SAYS APA COMMITTEE. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from [] ==

== This article questions the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education. It states that comprehensive sex education that promotes abstinence and condom use has been proven to be effective, while abstinence-only sex education has not been fully effective. One major point that the author brings up is the fact that both comprehensive and abstinence-only sex education programs have caused a delay in sexual activity, abstinence-only sex education has neglected to prevent teen pregnancies and STDs. == == This article is relevant to my research question because it discusses the effectiveness of both comprehensive and abstinence-only sex education. It also provides recommendations for future sex education programs, which could benefit students later. ==

== This opinion editorial discusses the high rate of abortions in China. It provides the reader with an analysis of this issue, as well as statistical data. It also discusses possible reasoning for what could cause this specific problem, and provides possible solutions for the future. == == This editorial is relevant to my research question because it says that a lack of sex education in China may be one of the main reasons for so many abortions. It reasons that an increase in sex education programs, perhaps made legally required, could reduce the number of abortions in China. It therefore shows that sex education is effective. ==