Sex education found to help teenagers delay sex

[hunter]

Source: Reuters

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Teenagers who have had formal sex education are far more likely to put off having sex, contradicting earlier studies on the effectiveness of such programs, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

They found teenage boys who had sex education in school were 71 percent less likely to have intercourse before age 15, and teen girls who had sex education were 59 percent less likely to have sex before age 15.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1960794920071219

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Formal sex education works, "abstinence only" programs don't.

[Bucky]

1. One small problem here: these studies are based on science.

As we all know, science is the enemy of God. How can you trust anything that begins with the premise that God is your enemy?

[tridim]

2. I'm pretty sure research has always shown that abstinence only education doesn't work

What "earlier studies" are they referring to? Probably studies done by RW religious groups.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. You've got it.

:think:

[Mabus]

24. Just ask the women of the Spears family

In their cases, ignorance means unexpected pregnancies. :eyes:

[DutchLiberal]

30. I thought I died laughing when I read about her!

First "holy virgin" Britney who wasn't a virgin anymore (and started doing all things God had forbidden), and now the little one knocked up! Mother Lynn Spears was planning a new tour to promote her new book about parenting, but has decided to cancel it!

:rofl:

[Mabus]

32. Well, you know what they say...

God moves in mysterious ways and right now she/he/it appear to want to make that particular family go away.

:rofl:

[Kber]

40. Classic line from Mom - "We don't know how this happened"

I think that the root of the problem, really.

KB

[Journeyman]

3. Education helps people make intelligent decisions? Hmm. . . who'd a thunk it? . . .

(certainly not BushCo)

[bemildred]

4. "Knowledge found to be less dangerous than ignorance." nt

[kestrel91316]

5. OMG. You definitely get the Gold Star today!! ROFLMAO. So true.

[BOSSHOG]

12. But ignorance is a conservative value

Why do you hate America?

[bemildred]

13. Authoritarians and control freaks hate critical thinking.

So of course, I don't have much use for authoritarians and control freaks, and I don't care much for their version of "America".

[HuffleClaw]

6. 79% & 59% ? ? ! !

bullshit.

[hunter]

8. Hello? Where do you see bullshit?

:shrug:

[JeanGrey]

7. Before age 15? How effective is it AFTER age 15? I still

don't want 15, 16 and 17 year olds having babies!!

[thereismore]

9. Nobody does. What's your problem? 15 was the age of the statistical test, that's all. nt

[JeanGrey]

26. Fine. But we need what works for ALL ages of teens who should

not be having babies, and education is the only way.

[hunter]

10. 15, 16 and 17 year know about sex.

They might not know enough about sex to keep themselves out of trouble, but they know about sex.

15 is a good statistical point for a study such as this. Yes, we don't want 15, 16, and 17 year olds having babies, but we especially don't want 11, 12, 13, and 14 year olds having babies.

[JeanGrey]

27. Agreed but we need what works for all teens, not just

15 or earlier.

[DutchLiberal]

31. They are called 'condoms'. Google it.

[JeanGrey]

33. I already know that and so DO THEY. We need to find out

WHY they aren't put into better use. And don't tell me they don't know.

[Javaman]

11. I don't think anyone could have predicted this!

:eyes:

[Pastiche423]

14. Duh!

[fshrink]

15. And why is it a good thing to delay sex?

[PassingFair]

16. Because it can have side effects such as...

[fshrink]

17. This has to do with contraception, not with sex.

We happen to have evolved to separate the two.

[PassingFair]

18. But many 13 and 14 year olds haven't.

Between "abstinence only" classes and
"heat of the moment" behavior, it's
best to delay "mature" behavior until
emotional AND physical maturity are achieved.

[JeanGrey]

34. We have? ROTFLMAO Tell that to the millions of unplanned

babies in the world.

[fshrink]

35. You answered your own question.

[JeanGrey]

36. IF we had "evolved" to separate sex from procreation we

wouldn't have the problems we have.

[yodermon]

19. I think the point is that *education* is the goal

the fact that sex is delayed is a side effect.
If it were to turn out that sex education actually increased sexual activity, I'd still argue that sex education is better than none (or abstinence-only education).

[boricua79]

38. DING DING DING...you're our grandprize winner

Now, jokes aside, I'd say because the risk of having a baby before being able to complete high school and college studies is very great. That would be my point of view. I'd teach my children that having children of their own so early would be asking for a more difficult life at getting degrees, chances at better jobs and better lives, and they'll plainly won't be able to enjoy their 20s if they have to a baby saddled around their shoulder all the time. There's a time for everything. enjoy the youth...and then have children.

[Xenotime]

42. I hate delaying sex.

[spinbaby]

20. Let's examine this sentence

"The researchers did not evaluate the content of sex education programs, including whether students were taught about contraception or about abstinence only."

In fact, we have no clue what these kids were taught. Although I have no doubt that sex education is a good thing, these "researchers" were just sloppy and produced "evidence" that could easily be used as justification for abstinence-only education.

[depakid]

21. Yep, You can't tell jack from this article

You'd have to look at the methodology and limitations of the study.

Also, considering that it's the CDC, you'd have to also consider how the work (or reporting) may have been slanted- it's not like we've been getting accurate data or interpretations on matters like this from the Bush administration. Presumably, the editors of the journal would have considered that, but these days, one never knows....

[hunter]

23. Here's another link...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/20/AR2007122001681_pf.html

There are things that are curious in it:

However, certain sub-populations of teens deserve further research, said Mueller. The data suggested that both rural, white teen girls and white or Hispanic teen girls who had dropped out of school might be morelikely to have sex before age 15 if they had sex education, but Mueller said the number of people in those groups in the study was so small that the results could be a statistical fluke.

Hmmmm.... Might these be the teens most likely to have had "abstinence only" sex education?

Anyways, I don't let my cynicism drag down my activism. I have some hope that Federal agencies like the CDC or the EPA or the Justice Department haven't been entirely decimated by the Bush Administration. I trust there are still a few good folks in those agencies (very tough folks!) who haven't been bulldozed aside by the Bush wrecking machine.

[pepperbear]

25. dagnabit! let's just wrap our kids up in cellophane until they're 18. n/t

[Thor_MN]

28. I read in a novel that boys should be put into a barrel while infants and fed through the bung hole.

When they get to the age of 18, you decide to let them out or drive in the bung.

Of course, it was a sardonic comment on youth.

I believe there are many studies indicating that nations with early sex education have the lowest rates of teen births. By making sex something taboo, conservatives set US society up for tragedy.

[JeanGrey]

37. Only certain parts of our kids.

:bounce:

[DutchLiberal]

29. We've got a D! We've got an U! We've got an H!

When will the fundies learn?

[Toots]

39. After reading some of these post a famous saying comes to mind

"Sometimes it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt"

[ThePowerofWill]

41. I am sure it does.

I could care less though if teens are having sex. Sex is just sex. What does concern me is that if they are going to have sex let them be well educated to make the right decisions. Those who are given the truth, and a real option will more often choose to do whats right than whats wrong. The real tragedy of teen sex is not the sex. The tragedy is teens making bad, or ill informed decisions that lead to early teen pregnancy, or std's.

[TankLV]

43. But what are they gonna do with all the viagara, encite, etc?!

What a waste...