Posted on 02/02/2005 7:22:02 AM PST by quasi modo
Texas Teens Increased Sex After Abstinence Program
Mon Jan 31, 4:43 PM ET
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Abstinence-only sex education programs, a major plank in President Bush (news - web sites)'s education plan, have had no impact on teenagers' behavior in his home state of Texas, according to a new study.
Despite taking courses emphasizing abstinence-only themes, teenagers in 29 high schools became increasingly sexually active, mirroring the overall state trends, according to the study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University.
"We didn't see any strong indications that these programs were having an impact in the direction desired," said Dr. Buzz Pruitt, who directed the study.
The study was delivered to the Texas Department of State Health Services, which commissioned it.
The federal government is expected to spend about $130 million to fund programs advocating abstinence in 2005, despite a lack of evidence that they work, Pruitt said.
"The jury is still out, but most of what we've discovered shows there's no evidence the large amount of money spent is having an effect," he said.
The study showed about 23 percent of ninth-grade girls, typically 13 to 14 years old, had sex before receiving abstinence education. After taking the course, 29 percent of the girls in the same group said they had had sex.
Boys in the tenth grade, about 14 to 15 years old, showed a more marked increase, from 24 percent to 39 percent, after receiving abstinence education.
Abstinence-only programs, which have sprouted up in schools across the nation, cannot offer information about birth control and must promote the social and health benefits of abstaining from sex.
Pruitt said he hoped the study would bring about changes in the content of abstinence-promoting programs.
"These programs seem to be much more concerned about politics than kids, and we need to get over that," he said.
One program technique has been to try to bolster students' self-esteem, based on the theory that self-confident teenagers would not have sex. Those programs, which sometimes do not even mention sex, have shown no effect, Pruitt said.
Other programs that focus on the social norms and expectations appear to be more successful, he said.
Though is it that weird that people don't have sex before taking the class? How many people have sex younger than 13 as compared to those who have sex after being 13?
Also, $130 million !!!!!! for NOT teaching something?
No big suprise here. School programs can never take the place of how a kid is brought up. I have two teens that are "virgins" and I KNOW it's because of home, church and a constant running conversation between me and my kids.
AND a good dose of FEAR doesn't hurt either.
'' "We didn't see any strong indications that these programs were having an impact in the direction desired," said Dr. Buzz Pruitt, who directed the study. ''
And Dr. Buzz here is what kinid of doccer and is a member of what organizations?
If she's a Planned Parenthood type, she has a stake in keeping out alternatives to their moneymaker business.
Not to mention no legal authority to spend the money thusly.
Doctor Buzz Prude is the women's volleyball coach and holds a doctorate in piles higher and deeper.
LOL!!
(owwie)
You hit the nail on the head there. Once again, a government program to make up for the lack of effective parenting. Responsibility for something as basic as self-control will always begin in the home.
And of course some honest communication: Yes, sex, and illegal drugs for that matter, will make you feel great at that moment, but the price you pay far outweighs the instant gratification.
I wonder if these researchers understand the idea of internal validity when conducting quantitative studies? For example, did the amount of sexual activity go up *less* than it would have had the students not been in the program? Were there any *controls* used to compare activity rates with students either not in the program or in alternative programs?
This is critical to evaluating the study and my hunch is that they didn't have a suitable control group.
Abstinence makes the hard grow fonder.
I just moved from TX after 11 years. All the mommies work and teens are home alone. The minute they turn 16 there's a new car in the driveway and the kid is on their own.
Parents just let them do whatever they want once they have a driver's license. They feel their kid is now an adult. I know, because this is what we contended with the last few years. It's a bizarre society where $$ and things are more important than the kids.
The parents attitude I ran across was: put the kid on B.C. pills under the guise of "she's taking them for her acne". Abstinence, my butt.
So did mine, and she was right. About all of us.
Glad you left. You didn't hang around with the right kind of Texans. Global statements like yours drip with partisan loathing. You probably voted for Ann Richards while you werer hear too.
LOL (so did mine) Trust me, I never say never. I'm just saying "up til now"!!!!!! :)
You are wrong on all counts. But you knew that.
"Despite taking courses emphasizing abstinence-only themes, teenagers in 29 high schools became increasingly sexually active, mirroring the overall state trends..."A more appropriate headline would be "Abstinence Program fails to change Texas teens' behavior" Further, since the results mirrored the overall state trend, couldn't one conclude that none of the other programs were all that effective?
Just another case of government getting involved in things which are none of their business and which they are powerless to make a positive impact.
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