Study shows comprehensive sex education reduces teen pregnancy

St. Paul — A new nationwide study from the University of Washington reports that teens between the ages of 15-19 who received comprehensive sex education have a 50 percent lower risk of teen pregnancy than teens who received abstinence-only education, and a 60 percent lower risk of teen pregnancy than teens who received no sex education at all.

The study appears in the April 2008 Journal of Adolescent Health, and tracks the initiation of sexual activity, the incidence of pregnancy, and the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases.

The University of Washington study asserts that, “Abstinence-only programs had no significant effect in delaying the initiation of sexual activity or in reducing the risk for teen pregnancy and STD. In contrast comprehensive sex education programs were significantly associated with reduced risk of teen pregnancy.”

In addition, the study found that the time of first initiation of sex was the same, whether teens received comprehensive sex education or abstinence-only education. However, the teens who received abstinence-only education “may engage in higher risk behavior once they initiate sexual activity…” and “may be less likely to seek testing for STDs…” because they are not educated to care for themselves.

For a full copy of the report, see Journal of Adolescent Health 42 (2008) pp. 344-351, www.jahonline.org, or contact Tor Berg at (415) 502-1373 or tor.barg@ucsf.edu.

(Lesley Christianson is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader.)
christianson@hutchinsonleader.com