Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Have Not Reduced Teen Pregnancy

It's about time we make the well-being of our young people more important than ideology and politics. As a country, we benefit from investing in their future by investing in teen pregnancy prevention. Our youth deserve the opportunity to complete their high school and college education, free of early parenthood. Their future children deserve the opportunity to grow up in financially and emotionally stable homes. Our communities benefit from healthy, productive, well-prepared young people.

We can make a difference by advocating for effective sex education. The Title V funding for abstinence-only programs is up for reauthorization by Congress. Since 1982, the US government has allocated $3.6 billion to abstinence only-until-marriage programs and has received a dismal return on its investment. And not surprisingly--these programs have very little evidence of effectiveness. Mathematica Policy Research conducted a national evaluation of abstinence-only programs and its findings show abstinence-only programs have no beneficial impact on whether young people abstain from sex, delay sexual activity, or reduce the number of sexual partners. This lack of evidence demands we take a different approach to sexual health education. The US has the highest teen birth rate of all industrialized nations at 41.9 per 1,000 girls age 15-19. By comparison, the next closest country is the United Kingdom at 26.7 per 1,000.

In my home state of Georgia, the state government has received $22.4 million in Federal funding for abstinence-only programs over the last two years. Georgia's spending on abstinence-only programs is two times the amount of funds just approved by the state legislature for funding teen centers, which provide critical services including prevention education, counseling, and services for sexually active youth.

Georgia ranks 10th nationally in teen birth rates at 54.2 per 1,000 girls age 15-19. Georgia is 2nd in repeat pregnancies, 6th in Chlamydia, 5th in Gonorrhea, 3rd in Syphilis and 9th in AIDS cases. All tolled, abstinence-only education, as a program to safeguard young people from high-risk behavior that leads to unintended outcomes, has failed miserably. The persistent status of Georgia among the top 10 worst states for reproductive and sexual health outcomes in teens illustrates the shortcomings of a policy that insists on teaching abstinence-only until marriage as the core sex education strategy.

In 1995, when Georgia had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the US, I founded The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP). G-CAPP brings together community and school leaders, health officials, and students to advocate for age appropriate, evidence-based sex education curricula within local schools and federal policy to fund comprehensive sex education programs.

Our young people are clamoring for sex education. Time and time again, we hear from high school students saying the sex education they receive is inadequate, it comes too late, and it does not teach them the skills they need to act responsibly.

A Fight for Comprehensive Sex Education from Stuart Productions on Vimeo.

In Savannah, Georgia, where the teen pregnancy rates are more than double the US rates, three teens are fighting to replace the harmful abstinence-only-until marriage program "Choosing the Best" in their school district with comprehensive sex education. They are rightfully concerned that their school district has signed on for five more years of the same ineffective curriculum.

G-CAPP is working with 30 youth from around the state to get their voices heard. The Georgia Student Youth Leadership Council (SYLC) is a group of dynamic young people who are actively engaged in mobilizing other youth advocates to bring attention to the need for better sex education. Our work is part of a collective movement in the Southeast region, which has the highest rate of teen pregnancy. In Mississippi, the House adopted HB 808 which would require comprehensive sex education to be taught in grades K through 12. The bill died in the Senate, but a major victory nonetheless. In North Carolina, HB 88 would require schools to offer both abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education giving parents the ability to decide which program their child would participate in. The bill is expected to go before the House for a vote. In Texas, a recent report showing the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only programs stated "our schools are failing Texas families by turning out generations of sexually illiterate young people at a time of high rates of teen pregnancy and STDs." In Florida, SIECUS released a similar report.

The past administrations have wasted opportunities to use our government resources to teach our young people how to make good decisions about their health. It is time to we advocate for policies and programs capable of addressing the root causes of adolescent pregnancy and teach our young people the skills they need to live healthy, productive lives. Our future depends on it.

Right now we have a great opportunity to ensure that our government use our resources wisely, by asking Congress to zero out Title V funding and support the REAL Act. This act will allow states to receive funding to implement effective sex education programs that give our young people the tools to make informed decisions about their well-being and build healthy relationships. I know our young people will be prepared to stand up and speak out, will you?

Comments

[ProgressiveVoice]

Sex is a biological urge just like eating or sleeping. The only difference is that the urge to procreate doesn't figure in life until puberty while other urges are there from birth.

The concept of abstinence until marriage, at least virginity of the bride, stems from the fact that marriage was usually a business relationship or political alliance. The only way to ensure that the children belonged to the husband was for a man to marry a virgin, then limit his bride's interaction with any other men. I've never seen any research but I would bet that couples outside of the "upper" class, ie. those without wealth to pass on, were far less likely to have abstained. I also would bet that that has been true throughout human history, at least in patriarchal societies.

If our modern society views teen pregnancy as harmful - then society should be encouraging and teaching masturbation, not abstinence, as a means to prevent pregnancy. We don't tell overweight people to stop eating; we direct them to more healthy alternatives. Sex education should be doing the same thing for teenagers.

[justinintheboro]

The quality of sex education in our public schools is an absolute disgrace. When I was in high school, only 1 week out of an entire 4 years of school was spent on this subject. The first 3 days was an abstinence only program called Why Know? It taught the dangers of premarital sex and how condoms were not effective and could not be trusted (such a horrible mixed message). The 4th day was spent with a youth pastor who spoke of the "joys of waiting." On day 5 we were shown a slide show of people's genitals who were suffering from herpes and other STDs. There was never a discussion of proper use of contraceptives and of the thought of even speaking to homosexuality (an immortal sin here in the South) was unheard of. Something has to change! Bless you Ms Fonda for all the good work you do!

[sunnybunny]

Not only is the "abstinence until marriage" plan not effective in preventing teenage pregnancy, it really doesn't offer any help for adult married women to prevent unintended pregnancy.

[ntb7088]

I was talking to my son, who is 15, about all of this sex education nonsense. He has been in sex ed since the 5th grade (when he was 10) and frankly, he is tired of hearing it. It's the same old, same old every year. I asked him what his school said about condoms, he said they said they don't always work and abstinence always works. We then talked about why condoms do work, and why he should refrain from having sex while in high school, and why condoms work. Frankly, I think the school should stop teaching about sex ed - it doesn't do a damn bit of good EITHER WAY YOU TEACH IT. My son sees girls in school who are pregnant treated like they are the queens of the world, there is no shame, there is no shame for the father. They see images from the media that bombard them with the idea that in order to be considered a whole person you need sex in your life. It's ridiculous to assume that if we start teaching them about "safe" sex they will somehow listen, use condoms and the world will be a better place. Perhaps, instead of focusing on abstinence or non-abstinence, we focus on the messages that we send them in what we do and how we behave. Perhaps when we respect and value human life and oursleves and our bodies our children will do the same.

[dana94591]

Finally, a rational voice who has spent some time learning about the subject and advocating for it! Thanks, Jane!!!

[mcyina]

True True. Adults cannot control their urges, but the expect kids to control theirs. They need all this facts, biology dictates it.

[Roxanna]

Excellent post Jane Fonda and a sad story at the same time.
You wonder what this country is using for brains with the population explosion, the largest we have had on record last year. Europe unlike us is educating their young and moving towards Zero Population

When is America going to Wise-Up educating our young people in orde, for them to make better choices over their own destiny and lives. Are we just going to continue to breeding "Ignorance" as a way of living?

[kavips]

In this day of economic intensity, when every dollar matters, the cost per benefit is the tag to use...

The link between $3.6 billion dollars and 0 acts of prevented sex, is hard to overlook.
Even better, and the article does not provide enough information, if one can determine how many pregnancies were prevented by sex education and at what cost per prevented pregnancy, and then compare that to how many pregnancies were prevented by abstinence and at what cost, we will have a clear picture of the benefits per dollar... Arguing morality is pointless.. Arguing dollars is the universal language.

Can someone find out how much abstinence costs per prevented pregnancy, and compare that to the cost of a single prophylactic....?

[jonolennon]

Exceptionally well written article Jane. Abstinence is farcical and unrealistic. Ignorance about reproduction is a perfect perscription for teenage pregnancy. Knowledge is power and ignorance ruins lives.

[maggiemom]

Abstinence is real for some people- it was the best thing for me and my now husband.

However that was for us and I think that we cannot push this choice either way.They need all information...the choice should not be judged...either way.

[justobserve]

The more appropriate discussion should be: Sex Ed is the responsibility of parents or school? It should be for parents to decide what to teach their children, not school.

[jeffinrr]

And way too many teen pregnancy and STDs are the result of parents abdicating the responsibility to adequately teach their children about sex. And because this is the case, I think society has the responsibility to intervene because when teens raise babies everyone pays the price, especially the child.

[MuchMadness]

It is the parents' prerogative to decide what their minor children should be taught about this and when they should be taught about it. It is a very easy topic for parents to teach. Everything that needs to be said can be said in ten minutes, or the parents can just give the kids some books to read. The schools should concentrate on teaching more important topics. No public school teacher should waste his or her time or effort teaching a topic unworthy of a trained professional.

[hereitis]

I hope you said all that in jest because you just made me lol. You implied that sex ed is not important and that parents are trained professionals on the subject. LOL!

[JZ735]

I think a mix of school discussion and family discussion works...but I do remember the awful films we watched in school that made it all seem so clinical and lifeless...

Back in the day, one learned the hard way about sex--from misguided forays into encounters with hormone raging partners, or with more knowledgeable comtemporaries.

[cnimmo]

Sad to say, the UK is NOT the industrialised country with the second highest rate of teenage births. That "honour" falls to New Zealand (33/1000 IIRC).

[JEP57]

The problem with state sanctioned sex education in the public schools is that it tells the students that they have no control over their biological urges or no free will choice. It says: "You have no control over yourself so here's your condom. Go have fun kids. And if you get pregnant, we have a clinic down the street you can visit". It basically advocates promiscuity. It's an easy replacement for adults taking a stand and telling still immature kids it's not a good thing. You don't have to be a Christian or any other faith to know what's right and wrong.

[hereitis]

Please tell us you are kidding with this nonsense. Nobody said to teach kids they have no control over their "biological urges." Now pay attention and read this slowly so you get it . . . I will even try to type slow for you . . . Sex education would serve to teach tweens and teens about the biology of sex, the physical part of sex (which I believe is what you have a REAL problem with), the emotional part of sex. It would teach that abstaining from sex until one is truly physically and emotionally ready to deal with it. But it would also be realistic (you may also have a problem with reality) in teaching that if a young couple finds themselves in a situation where sex is inevitable, there are options such as condoms and birth control pills. Sex is part of life, or have you not figured that out yet? Without sex there would be no life. Your way of thinking is horrible and selfish. Would you buy a car without airbags because you are such a safe driver and everyone around you is a safe driver so you won't have an accident and don't need airbags? Now let's say you get into an accident . . . bet you wish you had airbags now, huh?

[justobserve]

"Now let's say you get into an accident . . . bet you wish you had airbags now, huh?": We can disagree but not condescending to other people who have different opinions. If you want to teach your children that sex is like a car accident that could happen even though your children are careful, please tell them without their consent, it's rape! In sex, you must have the willingness of both. Unlike car accident which involves other drivers' safe driving as well as yours. That is why Sex Ed should be parents' responsibility instead of school's. We could argue with no end in this kind of education. Let's schools do their works of teaching writing, reading, maths and science,... and parent to teach the morality or life philosophies as they wish. In a free society, no one thinks the same way on every subject.

[Chris Hendrikse]

Listen to yourself. You start out by saying "Nobody said to teach kids they have no control over their biological urges" and than go on to say, "...a young couple finds themselves in a situation where sex is inevitable." Inevitable? Sounds like there really is no choice here...kind of hard to control. The airbags thing is a poor analogy. Sex is for marriage, and if people saved it for marriage there wouldn't be the problems we have today. Here is an interesting stat for you. Divorce rate is around 50%, and unfortunately for Christians it's also around 50%. However, for people that save sex until marriage, the divorce rate is between 2 and 3%. Wow. If people would actually save sex for marriage, the number of broken families would go down and our society would rebound from this horrible cycle.

To say you should practice abstinence, but hey you know you're going to do it anyway, so if you do, make sure you......

That sounds like, don't do drugs, but if you do, make sure you use a clean needle and bla bla bla, so you don't get diseases.

Should we teach safe drug use?

You may laugh, but there is no such thing as safe sex either. Sex before marriage is as dangerous as drugs; some of the danger being physical, but a whole lot more being emotional.

[LateDave]

Amen, hereitis.

Our parents told us nothing. Our parents told us nothing. How many times must I say it? What could possibly lead one to think parents now are any less reticent? Even giviing us books to read (such as they were then) would have been an admission that our parents knew about "it" and had noticed that we were maturing. It wasn't religion. I think it is essentially American for grownups to do it now and act like innocents later. Sexuality may be more frank in other cultures, but large numbers here play the naif in front of their kids.

Limiting teaching to "don't--or else" is pathetic. It assumes kids won't disobey, or explore, or question, or get into predicaments they didn't expect. It assumes boys are all honorable and girls will stifle their urges. It leaves no room for planning to have a successful but not sexless premarital life. It offers no recovery from a mistake. It punishes by destroying the future of the mistake maker. It assumes everyone is clever, wise, and foresightful. It expects more of parents than they could possibly deliver. It demands perfection. That is unacceptable, and we have been suffering from it at least since Reagan.

For an alternative, I propose asking a really good Christian, Jimmy Carter. I don't know what he would say, but I suspect it would be both consistent with his church's teaching and practical. I reserve the right to disagree with it, however.

[4 Real]

The lack of sex ed seems to promote more promiscuity since they are usually ill informed about sex. Knowledge allows for better decision making. The point of sex ed is to tell teens you do have control of your bodies and your urges, but if you do engage in sexual activity, here are the consequences and the dangers.
What you are suggesting is ludicrous.

[dsbsh]

The problem lies with whatever "education" program informed you about what sex education teaches. Fact: American teens are having sex. Fact: programs that do nothing but tell them not to have sex don't work. Fact: there is zero evidence suggesting that comprehensive sex education programs increase sexual activity. What these programs do is tell teens what the risks are, and how to protect themselves. And they DO promote abstinence. But since we KNOW many will have sex anyway, they offer more information than just "don't do it." Would you advocate not teaching kids what to do in case of a car accident? Or is it enough to tell them "don't get in an accident?" The choice between giving teens the tools to avoid pregnancy and/or STDs, and not giving them those tools, i.e., between less or more teen pregnancies and AIDS, is an easy choice-- that is, it's easy if you care more about kids than about ideology. And, of course, many of these kids still have parents, who last time I checked are still free to teach abstinence.

[call me yoda]

"Just say no" didn't even work in the Garden of Eden.
-- Debra W. Haffner

[booboo111]

Jane, aren't you a christian now?

[JZ735]

...and that effects what she says how?

Does being a "Christian" mean being openly ignorant of the use of condoms so that we have babies being churned out and ending up abused and neglected or unloved?

So many supposed "Christians' are all about the pre-born, but when it comes time to take care of the baby afterward, they are nowhere to be found.

Thanks, Jane, great article...