RESOURCES:Abstinence - what people think

Abstinence - only programmes have demonstrated changes in adolescents´ attitudes but no real change in sexual behaviour.

March 2004 saw the publication of an eight year study confirming this. The Guardian on 10 March 2004 reported "The eight-year study of 12,000 young people by two American sociologists found that the graduates of abstinence programmes were nearly as likely as other young people to catch sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia.

Other findings, yet to be published, also suggest that abstinence programmes do not prevent early pregnancy, Hannah Bruckner, a sociologist at Yale University and co-author of the study, said"


However more comprehensive sex education programmes have demonstrated both changes in attitudes and delays in the start of sexual activity Haignere et al 1999


Read Just say No to Abstinence Education for a report on Abstinence programmes published by the Sex Education forum following a study tour in the USA.
For a Pro-Abstinence view from the Family Education Trust

For a Pro Abstinence view
by Trevor Stammers published in the BMJ

For Roger Ingham´s response advancing arguments against "abstinence only" education.

And some debate recorded as rapid responses subsequently published in the BMJ (2000)

Visit "Abstinencedu" for exclusive promotion of the abstinence only approach.

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