Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Comprehensive sexuality education programs promote abstinence as the most effective way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) while also teaching accurate and age appropriate information on healthy relationships, contraception and STIs.1 Providing this information to adolescents allows them to make responsible decisions about sexual activity.1

FAST FACTS
Comprehensive sexuality education provides a complete message. It is a developmentally appropriate sexuality education that covers but is not limited to educating people about anatomy, sexual behaviors, pregnancy prevention strategies and gender roles.2 Comprehensive sexuality education is effective in providing adolescents with information to make responsible choices concerning their sexual health as well as building knowledge, attitude and skills. 3 The American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, Institute of Medicine, and Society for Adolescent Medicine, among others, support comprehensive sex education.678910 Analysis of data from Youth Risk Behavior surveys found that sexual activity among high school youth declined significantly from 1991 to 1997, prior to large-scale funding of abstinence-only-untilmarriage programs, but changed little from 1999 to 2003 with federal funding of such programs.11 Public opinion polls of parents of middle school students and high school students show: o 93% and 91%, respectively, believe that it is very important or somewhat important to have sexuality education as part of the school curriculum.5 o 72% and 65%, respectively, believe that the federal government should fund comprehensive sexuality education programs.5 o They supported educating adolescents about condom and contraception use.5 73% of adults and 56% of teens wish for more information about both abstinence and birth control or protection in schools.12

Many Americans support a comprehensive sexuality education program that includes lessons on abstinence as well as contraception.
Comprehensive sexuality education has shown a positive impact on the behaviors of adolescents, including: o An increase in the use of contraception4 o A decrease in the onset of sexual activity4 o A decrease in the number of sexual partners4 o A decrease in the frequency of sexual activity4 The characteristics of an effective sexuality program include: o Focusing on abstaining from sexual activity and/or using a form of contraception3 o Addressing social pressures to engage in sexual activity as well as refusal skills3 o Reducing sexual behaviors that lead to unintended pregnancy and STIs3 o Involving the participants in a manner that allows them to personalize the information3 Public opinion polls have shown that parents of middle school and high school students support a comprehensive sexuality program.5

RESOURCES
Healthy Teen Network: www.healthyteennetwork.org SIECUS: www.siecus.org Community Action Kit: www.communityactionkit.org Sex Ed Library: www.sexedlibrary.org Advocates for Youth: www.advocatesforyouth.org

Healthy Teen Network | 509 2nd Street N.E. | Washington, D.C. | 20002 | Ph: (202) 547-8814 | Fax: (202) 547-8815 | www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org

REFERENCES
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. Comprehensive sexuality education. Retrieved June 1, 2007, from http://www.massteenpregnancy.org/advocacy/education_brief02.html. 2 Healthy Teen Network. (2001). Advocacy resource guide: Comprehensive sexuality education. Washington, DC: Healthy Teen Network. 3 Kirby, D. (2001). Emerging answers: research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 4 McKeon, B. (2006). Effective sex education. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth. 5 Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2005). On our side: Public support for comprehensive sexuality education. Retrieved June 12, 2007, from http://www.siecus.org/policy/public_support.pdf. 6 Klein, J. & Committee on Adolescence. (2005). Adolescent pregnancy: current trends and issues. Pediatrics, 116(1):281-286. 7 Committee on HIV Prevention Strategies in the United States, Institute of Medicine. (2000). No Time to Lose: Getting More from HIV Prevention. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 8 Society for Adolescent Medicine. (2006). Abstinence-only education policies and programs: a position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(1):83-87. 9 American Medical Association. (1999). Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs [Action of the AMA House of Delegates, CSA Report 7-I-99]. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association. 10 Boostra, H. (2002). Legislators craft alternative vision of sex education to counter abstinence-only drive. The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, 2,1-3. 11 Feijoo, A & Grayton, C. (2004). Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors among High School StudentsUnited States, 1991 to 1997 and 1999 to 2003. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth. 12 Albert, B. (2007). With one voice 2007: Americas adults and teens sound off about teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
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Healthy Teen Network | 509 2nd Street N.E. | Washington, D.C. | 20002 | Ph: (202) 547-8814 | Fax: (202) 547-8815 | www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org