Waxman Report: Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Programs Offer False, Misleading Information
Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) recently released a report stating that many federally funded abstinence-only education programs contain false and misleading information. The most popular federally funded abstinence curriculum distorts information about effective contraceptives, offers misinformation on the incidence and transmission of STIs, blurs religion and science, misstates the risks of abortion, and treats stereotypes about teens as scientific fact.
The report examined school-based sex education curricula used by programs funded under Special Projects of Regional and National Significance Community-Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS), the fastest-growing source of federally funded abstinence education. Since 1996, nearly $1 billion in state and federal funding has been spent on abstinence-only education. Another $170 million in federal funds is slated for FY 2005.
For more information
"Fewer Teens 15 to 17 Having Sexual Intercourse, Study Shows"
According to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth published by CDC fewer US youths ages 15-17 are having sexual intercourse, and they cite religious and moral values as the number-one reason
According to the report 30% of never-married females ages 15-17 have had sex, down from 38% in 1995. In that same age group, the number of boys who have had sex fell from 43% in 1995 to 31% in 2002. CDC's National Center for Health Statistics surveyed about 2,200 teenagers randomly selected from across the country.
When asked why they abstained from sex, the teens most often cited religion or moral values (girls: 38%; boys: 31%), pregnancy concerns (girls: 19%; boys: 25%), and STDs (girls: 7 percent; boys: 10 percent).
Of teens that were having intercourse, 79% reported using birth control, up from 61% in the late 1980s, with two-thirds using condoms as their method of birth control.
Other findings:
- Almost 10% of the females reported her first intercourse as non-voluntary.
- Nearly 60% of teens that first had sex before age 15 have had four or more partners.
- Thirty-four % of teens had not received formal instruction about contraception before age 18.
- Among those ages 18-19, 64% of males reported sex in 2002, down from 75% in 1995; 69% of females reported sex in 2002, up from 68% in 1995.
For more information
Teens and Young Adults at Higher Risk for Acquiring STDs – Surveillance Report
Newly release surveillance reports from 2003 data show that adolescents (10 – 19 years) and young adults (20 – 24) are at higher risk for acquiring SDDs than older adults:
- Sexually active adolescents tend to have high rates of chlamydia infection
- Compared to other women in 2003, 15 – 19 year old women had the highest rates of gonorrhea
For more information
Parent-Teen Relationships & Interactions
This Child Trends brief,
Most Teens Admire Their Parents and Enjoy Spending Time With Them: Really!, reports that research suggests that teens say they think highly of their parents, want to be more like them and enjoy spending time with them.
Not Yet: Programs to Delay First Sex Among Teens
In the past several year research has shown that a wide variety of programs have been effective in delaying sexual activity, increasing use of contraception and decreasing teen pregnancy.
Not Yet: Programs to Delay First Sex Among Teens
(in PDF 
format) provides a detailed description of programs that have proven through research to be effective in delaying sexual initiation for teens. This publication also contains practical information on costs and curriculum availability. Not Yet is available on the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy’s website.
Program Archive on Sexuality, Health & Adolescence
A section of the Advocates for Youth website, offers a way to select programs on sexuality, health and adolescence that fit your needs. By giving information on your program’s aim, setting, delivery mode and audience’s characteristics you can obtain the materials needed to replicate a program that has already been delivered and evaluated.
For more information
Please see our
Disclaimer
Home |
Calendar of Events |
Links | 
30 December 04
Past Updates: