What should be the goals What should be the goals of high school sex of high school sex

education?education?

Why have sex education?Why have sex education?

• By their 18By their 18thth birthday 60% of girls and birthday 60% of girls and 70% of boys have had sexual 70% of boys have had sexual intercourseintercourse

• If we don’t address sexuality during the If we don’t address sexuality during the years of compulsory education then the years of compulsory education then the majority of youth will have engaged in majority of youth will have engaged in sexual activity without access to sexual activity without access to reliable educational resources!!reliable educational resources!!

STDs diagnosed annually in the STDs diagnosed annually in the USUS

STD STD IncidenceIncidence

Chlamydia Chlamydia 3 million 3 million Gonorrhea Gonorrhea 650,000 650,000 Syphilis Syphilis 70,000 70,000 Herpes Herpes 1 million 1 million Human papillomavirus Human papillomavirus 5.5 million 5.5 million Hepatitis B Hepatitis B 77,000 77,000 Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis 5 million 5 million HIV HIV 20,00020,000

Sex Education Policies Sex Education Policies (1999)(1999)

Landry, Kaeser, & Richards (1999) as cited in The Alan Guttmacher Institute – Facts in Brief: Sexuality Education (2004)

Where sex education is Where sex education is headedheaded

• In 1988 2% of schools had In 1988 2% of schools had abstinence-only education policiesabstinence-only education policies

• In 1999 this rate increased to 23%In 1999 this rate increased to 23%

What might account for this increase?What might account for this increase?

Is it a step in the right direction?Is it a step in the right direction?

Abstinence-only educationAbstinence-only education

• After years of investigation there are After years of investigation there are still no convincing resultsstill no convincing results

• No evidence that it delays onset of No evidence that it delays onset of sexual intercoursesexual intercourse

• Some evidence that it actually may Some evidence that it actually may deter adolescents from using deter adolescents from using contraceptivescontraceptives

Findings from the National STD Findings from the National STD Prevention ConferencePrevention Conference

• Data was taken from the National Data was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent HealthLongitudinal Study of Adolescent Health

• 88% of abstinence-pledgers reported 88% of abstinence-pledgers reported having sex before marriagehaving sex before marriage

• Less than half (only 40 percent) of male Less than half (only 40 percent) of male pledgers used a condompledgers used a condom

• STD rates between pledgers and non-STD rates between pledgers and non-pledgers were not significantly differentpledgers were not significantly different

What parents want in sex What parents want in sex eded• Comprehensive sex educationComprehensive sex education

• Medically accurate sex educationMedically accurate sex education

• Contraceptive use, condom use, STIsContraceptive use, condom use, STIs

• Sexual orientationSexual orientation

• Safe sex practicesSafe sex practices

• AbortionAbortion

• Communication and coping skills Communication and coping skills

• Emotional aspects of a relationshipEmotional aspects of a relationship

Reasons for comprehensive Reasons for comprehensive sex edsex ed

• For those teens who are sexually For those teens who are sexually active without using contraceptives, active without using contraceptives, 90% will become pregnant within a 90% will become pregnant within a yearyear

• 75% of the reduction in pregnancy 75% of the reduction in pregnancy rates is attributable to an increase in rates is attributable to an increase in use of highly effective and long-use of highly effective and long-lasting contraceptiveslasting contraceptives

Comprehensive sex ed: The Comprehensive sex ed: The debatedebate

Concern: Comprehensive sex ed will Concern: Comprehensive sex ed will increase adolescent sexual activity increase adolescent sexual activity

Rebuttal: Findings consistently reveal Rebuttal: Findings consistently reveal that comprehensive sex ed and access that comprehensive sex ed and access to contraceptives does not hasten the to contraceptives does not hasten the onset of sex, increase its frequency, or onset of sex, increase its frequency, or increase an adolescents number of increase an adolescents number of sexual partners (SIECUS, 2003) sexual partners (SIECUS, 2003)

Investigating comprehensive Investigating comprehensive sex ed sex ed

In contrast to many of the common In contrast to many of the common concerns of implementing concerns of implementing comprehensive sex ed, it has been comprehensive sex ed, it has been shown to:shown to:

• delay the onset of sexual activitydelay the onset of sexual activity

• reduce the number of sexual partnersreduce the number of sexual partners

• increase contraceptive useincrease contraceptive use

(The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004)(The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004)

What teachers want in sex ed What teachers want in sex ed vs. what they are allowed to vs. what they are allowed to teachteach

Darroch, Landry, & Singh (2000) as cited in The Alan Guttmacher Institute – Facts in Brief: Sexuality Education (2004)

Recommendations for sex Recommendations for sex eded

““Comprehensive school-based sexuality Comprehensive school-based sexuality education that is appropriate to education that is appropriate to students’ age, developmental level, students’ age, developmental level, and cultural background should be an and cultural background should be an important part of the education important part of the education program at every age.”program at every age.”

(SEICUS, 2003)(SEICUS, 2003)

Implementing our Implementing our knowledgeknowledge

• What is appropriate for different ages What is appropriate for different ages of adolescents?of adolescents?

• What is appropriate for different What is appropriate for different levels of developmental?levels of developmental?

• What is appropriate for different What is appropriate for different cultural backgrounds?cultural backgrounds?

References References

Facts in Brief: Sexuality Education, Facts in Brief: Sexuality Education, (2003). (2003). Retrieved March 15, 2004, from Retrieved March 15, 2004, from http://www.alanguttmacher.org/pubs/fb_sex_ed02http://www.alanguttmacher.org/pubs/fb_sex_ed02.html.html

Fact Sheet: Abstinence-Only Education, Fact Sheet: Abstinence-Only Education, (2004). (2004). Retrieved March 15, 2004, from Retrieved March 15, 2004, from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/library/facts/Ahttp://www.plannedparenthood.org/library/facts/AbstinenceOnly10-01.htmlbstinenceOnly10-01.html

Sexuality Education, Sexuality Education, (2003). (2003). Retrieved March 15, Retrieved March 15, 2004, from 2004, from http://www.siecus.org/school/sex_ed/sex_ed0000.http://www.siecus.org/school/sex_ed/sex_ed0000.htmlhtml

Teen ‘virgins’ face STD risks, study finds, Teen ‘virgins’ face STD risks, study finds, (2004). (2004). Retrieved March 15, 2004, from Retrieved March 15, 2004, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4485691http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4485691