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Study Proves Effectiveness of Teen Abstinence Education : 15th Feb 10
Responding to a new study showing the effectiveness of abstinence education for teens, the Family Research Council is lamenting the government’s rejection of programmes that teach abstinence to young people in the USA.
The group released a statement after the publication of a study by John and Loretta Jemmott of the University of Pennsylvania, Geoffrey Fong of the University of Waterloo, and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Waterloo, Ontario.
Tony Perkins, the Council’s president, explained that the study “tells us clearly that abstinence education, not the promotion of high-risk sexual behaviour among teens, is needed”. “The study reports that abstinence education successfully reduced self-reported sexual involvement among African-American students in grades six and seven”, he added.
“In light of this study and others showing the positive health benefits of abstinence education”, Perkins noted, “it is unfortunate that this Congress and Administration has zeroed out abstinence education”. Instead, he stated, they have favoured “sex-ed programmes that advocate high-risk sexual behaviour”, and “it is children and young teens who suffer the consequences”.
He pointed out that “despite an enormous amount of money going to comprehensive sex-ed programmes dating [back] much earlier than abstinence-education programmes,” federal Centers for Disease Control data show that “an alarming 40% of teen girls who are sexually active are infected” with a sexually transmitted disease.
“The government does not promote drug use or underage drinking, and it should not promote high-risk sexual behaviour, either,” Perkins argued. He added, “The evidence shows clearly that sexual abstinence is the healthiest behaviour for youth”. Zenit. February 3.
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