Minnesota report says abstinence-only sex education doesn't work

[davidinalameda]

http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=10895&sd=01/07/04

A report commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Health shows that the state's $5 million abstinence-only sex education program is not working, with students involved in the program today more likely to report having sex than those not enrolled in the program two years ago, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reports. About 12% of students at three junior high schools participating in the Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL) Program report having engaged in sexual activity compared with just 5.8% of students surveyed in 2001-2002, before the program was launched. The rate of students reporting that they'd like to have sex before high school graduation increased from 9.5% in 2001-2002 to 17% today.


bet the wingnuts are crying bias on this one!

[dkf]

1. When did this administration ever care about the facts?

Just another piece of inconvenient data to ignore.

[Cloud]

2. True

I heard somewhere that the number of girls getting pregnant is higher per capita in catholic schools where they teach abstinence only than in a public school.

This is how I feel about sex education.

They should teach both. It is true abstinence is 100% effective. Forcing that on raging hormone teens won't work. I know as I was a teen just a few years ago. They should also teach how to properly use birth control. The pill and the condom are very effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly.

Our kids should be taught the whole picture. Let them make the decision if they are going to choose abstinence or birth control. It is a personal decision.

[lovedems]

3. Or, instead of crying bias, they will do their typical "we need more

scientific data" and then comission a study that gives them the results THEY want.