Statistics released today about American teens’ sexual behavior belie the popular portrayal of American youth as permissive and careless. New data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that the majority of teens have remained abstinent. Though the proportion of teens who are sexually experienced has remained relatively unchanged since 2002, the CDC report does note that the percentage represents a significant decline since 1988. And it’s important to note that the proportion of youths who are abstinent has risen by 17 percent among teenage girls and by 47 …
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Take a look at the Obama Administration’s newest grant announcement for marriage education. Everything looks okay until page 29. There, listed as one of the “Unallowable Activities,” is abstinence education. Wait a second. One would expect that with the name Healthy Marriage and Relationship Grants, these programs would aim to promote, well, healthy marriage and relationships. But then why ban educators from talking to youth about delaying sexual activity—a factor associated with stronger marriages—not to mention helping youth avoid a host of other social ills? As Valerie Huber of the …
Despite the prevalence of TV shows detailing the tawdry lifestyles and nonchalant hook-up scene of the supposedly typical American teenager, more young people are choosing to remain abstinent. According to a recent report from the National Survey of Family Growth, more than a quarter of young men and women between 15 and 24 years old report never having had sexual contact. Likewise, as shown in new charts on FamilyFacts.org, more than half of all U.S. high school students report remaining abstinent, an 18 percent increase since the 1990s. The increase …
On Thursday, The Washington Post heralded the findings of a new survey reporting on sexual activity in the United States. While the study pronounced such positive findings as an increase in abstinence among teens and college-age adults and a decrease in teen pregnancy, there is bleaker story that cannot be ignored: the ever-increasing rate of unwed childbearing in the United States. On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its seventh round of the National Survey of Family Growth. The Post notes:
Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the winners of $110 million worth of grant money for sex education programs for adolescents. The money will go to fund five-year cooperative agreements as part of the Obama Administration’s new Teen Pregnancy Prevention program. However, while HHS stated that they “were hoping for and hopefully got a healthy mix” of programs, according to The Washington Post, “Abstinence proponents … identified just five ‘authentic’ abstinence programs receiving less than $5 million.” In total, 115 programs in 38 states received grants. …
Spring has sprung in Washington, DC, and while many buses line the streets packed with students touring the National Monuments, another group of students came to Washington this week for a different purpose: To tell policymakers about the impact that abstinence education has had in their lives. This year’s annual Abstinence Day on the Hill was of particular significance because of recent studies that suggest abstinence education could delay sexual activity in teenagers. In a study evaluating the effectiveness of abstinence-based programs, researchers found that from a total of 22 …
Abstinence education is back in the headlines, prompted by a new study that shows such intervention can reduce teen sexual activity in the long term. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, appeared in this month’s issue of the medical journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a publication of the American Medical Association. It found that, two years after receiving an eight-hour abstinence-only intervention, middle school participants were a third less likely to initiate sexual activity, compared to peers who attended a non-sex-ed health class instead. …
Yesterday, a new study was released showing that abstinence education programs were effective in reducing teen sexual activity while conventional safe sex programs had no positive effects. Ironically, this finding comes at a time when President Obama and the Pelosi/Reid Congress have abolished all federal funding for abstinence and created a new funding stream to promote so-called “comprehensive” sex education. In order to understand this issue, it is important to dispel common myths about abstinence education and sex ed in general. Myth: Abstinence Programs Don’t Work. The newly released study …
At this gift-giving time of year, parents should keep in mind that the best present they could offer their children is their presence. Findings from decades of sociological research featured at FamilyFacts.org show that parental involvement has substantial positive impact in virtually every aspect of children’s lives. Parents’ investment can be considered in terms of four “Ts”: Time, Talk, Tracking, and Treasuring their relationship with their offspring. Time: Studies reveal that the time parents spend with their children has an impact on issues ranging from emotional health to school outcomes. …
