{"id":265928,"date":"2010-02-02T08:57:06","date_gmt":"2010-02-02T13:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rhrealitycheck.org\/blog\/2010\/02\/02\/roundup-abstinence-study-fall-out"},"modified":"2010-02-02T10:26:41","modified_gmt":"2010-02-02T15:26:41","slug":"roundup-abstinence-study-fall-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/265928","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: Abstinence Study Fall Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nWell, I suppose it’s inevitable.\u00a0 The day I make a roundup about how abstinence only plans just don’t work<\/a>, someone has to release a study saying "Hey, maybe they aren’t quite as bad as we thought."\u00a0 Am I daunted?\u00a0 Of course not! This study actually encourages everything we’ve believed about NOT providing abstinence only sex ed.\n<\/p>\n

\nConfused?\u00a0 Let me explain.\n<\/p>\n

\nFirst, the Washington Post article about the study<\/a> points out that the "abstinence group" had a few things different from the abstinence only education classes pushed by the anti-choice advocates:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tSeveral critics of an abstinence-only approach said that the curriculum
\n\ttested did not represent most abstinence programs. It did not take a
\n\tmoralistic tone, as many abstinence programs do. Most notably, the
\n\tsessions encouraged children to delay sex until they are ready, not
\n\tnecessarily until married; did not portray sex outside marriage as
\n\tnever appropriate; and did not disparage condoms.\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t"There is no data in this study to support the ‘abstain until
\n\tmarriage’ programs, which research proved ineffective during the Bush
\n\tadministration," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nA class that says you should wait to have sex, and that a condom might be a good thing to use?\u00a0 Call me crazy, but that sounds like a sex ed class to me.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe L.A. Times<\/a> makes it even more clear:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tThe study was conducted among 662 African American sixth- and
\n\tseventh-graders in four low-income schools in the northeastern United
\n\tStates. The students were randomized into four groups. <\/p>\n

\tOne
\n\treceived an eight-hour abstinence-only class focusing on the risks of
\n\tpregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It was based on principles
\n\tshown to be effective in reducing transmission of sexually transmitted
\n\tdiseases and did not use a moralistic tone or portray sex in a negative
\n\tlight.\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\tA second group received an eight-hour safe-sex class. The third group
\n\treceived a comprehensive eight- or 12-hour class emphasizing both
\n\taspects. The control group received education only about healthy living.
\n\t….\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tCatherine Camacho,
\n\tdeputy director for the California Department of Public Health’s Center
\n\tfor Family Health, said previous research had shown that it made sense
\n\tto include abstinence education as part of a comprehensive program.<\/p>\n

\t"A
\n\tcomprehensive approach that does include abstinence is the most
\n\teffective program," she said. "We have never disagreed with that. But
\n\twe would prefer to call it abstinence-plus."\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThe argument has never been about only teaching safe sex practices versus only teaching abstinence only education.\u00a0 Reasonable parties have always wanted to teach a comprehensive approach that tells teens that you should wait to have sex, but if you don’t, you need to protect yourself and your partner from pregnancy and disease, especially via the use of condoms.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\nThis latest study totally supports those findings.\n<\/p>\n

\nOf course, that isn’t stopping the usual suspects<\/a> from trying to use it as a cudgel to end any program that doesn’t stick just to a "no sex before marriage" curriculum.\u00a0 Pro-Life Wisconsin, reacting to the movement of the Healthy Youth Act<\/a> through legislature, released this statement yesterday:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tMatt Sande, director of legislation for Pro-Life Wisconsin, told
\n\tLifeSiteNews that in addition to disrespecting the opinions of parents,
\n\tpastors, and other local community leaders, the bill "contradicts sound
\n\tscience."\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\tA study<\/a>\u00a0in
\n\tthe Journal of the American Medical Association released today details
\n\thow abstinence-only sexual education is linked to a lower rate of
\n\tsexual activity among high-risk teens.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t"This clinical study
\n\tdemonstrates that abstinence-only education programs can be very
\n\teffective in curbing teen sexual activity,\u201d said Sande.\u00a0 "Regrettably,
\n\tthe ideological and political agenda of Planned Parenthood dictates
\n\tpublic policy in our state \u2013 and it is our kids who will suffer the
\n\tconsequences."\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nLuckily, in Utah<\/a>, where a contentious plan to add information on contraception to sex ed classrooms, people are taking a much more reasonable approach to the new study:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tLiz Zentner, Utah PTA health commissioner, said she believes
\n\tabstinence has gotten a bad rap. "This study seems to validate an
\n\tapproach that many feel has the best chance of helping kids make the
\n\thealthiest choice both physically and emotionally."\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\tZentner
\n\tadded she would be interested in seeing the curriculum the students in
\n\tthe study used. "We want to use an approach that has demonstrated it
\n\thas a solid track record of making a difference," she said.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nIn short, no, the people advocating sex ed that isn’t simply a "don’t do it ever!" approach didn’t get caught with their pants down with the release of this new abstinence study.\u00a0 It simply proves what we already knew: teach kids to wait, but also to be responsible.\u00a0 And to spend more time figuring out how to address the real problems that add to risk of teenage pregnancy.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMini Roundup:<\/strong><\/em> Tired of Super Bowl<\/a> controversy<\/a>?\u00a0 How about some real reality tv?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n \n<\/p>\n

\nFebruary 2, 2010
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nUtah
\nLegislature: Abstinence findings fuel sex-ed debate<\/span><\/a><\/span> Deseret News<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWisc.
\nLegislature Approves Bill Requiring Schools To Teach About <\/span>Contraception<\/span><\/a><\/span> Medical News Today<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA
\nVerdict Against Vigilantism<\/span><\/a><\/span> New York Times<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nIs
\nthe Ban on Federally Funded <\/span>Abortions<\/span> Constitutional?<\/span><\/a><\/span> Huffington Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPlanned
\nParenthood <\/span>Abortion<\/span> Biz
\nPresident Becomes Ford Foundation Trustee<\/span><\/a><\/span> LifeNews.com<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFebruary 1, 2010
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nTebow’s
\nSuper Bowl ad isn’t intolerant; its critics are<\/span><\/a><\/span> Washington Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAn
\nUntold Story:Reproduction Coercion<\/span><\/a><\/span>
\nNARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Blog<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nStreisand Effect<\/span><\/a><\/span> Opposing
\nViews<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nStudy
\nfinds focus on abstinence in sex-ed classes can delay sexual activity<\/span><\/a><\/span> Washington Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nCBS
\nAnd Its Homophobic Superbowl Double-Standard<\/span><\/a><\/span> Huffington Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPotential
\n2012 GOP Presidential Candidates Raise Big Money, Back Pro-Lifers<\/span><\/a><\/span> LifeNews.com<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOhio
\n<\/span>Pro-Life<\/span>
\nGroup Backs Portman, Kasich and Other Candidates for State Office<\/span><\/a><\/span> LifeNews.com<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nRon
\nPaul: "<\/span>Pro-Life<\/span>
\nAction Must Originate From Principle"<\/span><\/a><\/span> CCN News Online<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nIs <\/span>Pro-Life<\/span>
\nReligion-Neutral?<\/span><\/a><\/span> Stanford
\nReview<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nProtesting
\nPope Benedict’s Visit To Britain<\/span><\/a><\/span> Irish Central<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWatson
\nsigns deal for emergency <\/span>contraceptive<\/span><\/a><\/span>
\nBusinessWeek<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHow
\nto Get a Teenager Pregnant<\/span><\/a><\/span> Psychology Today<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nShould
\nCBS Have Allowed the Tebow Ad?<\/span><\/a><\/span> New York Times<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHospital
\nworker ‘told family of teenager’s <\/span>abortion<\/span>‘<\/span><\/a><\/span> BBC News<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nLetter
\nfrom Religious Organizations Supports "<\/span>Abortion<\/span> Neutral" Health Care
\nReform<\/span><\/a><\/span> Ethiopian
\nReview<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWhat
\nWould Jesus Do?<\/span><\/a><\/span> Huffington
\nPost<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nShow
\nLets Viewers Decide If ‘Reality Stars’ Get <\/span>Abortions<\/span><\/a><\/span> FOXNews<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOPINION
\nSHAPER: ‘Just Say No’ to Planned Parenthood<\/span><\/a><\/span> Mansfield News Journal<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAbstinence-only
\nclasses may be effective for young teens<\/span><\/a><\/span> Los Angeles Times<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHaiti
\n‘orphan’ rescue mission: <\/span>Adoption<\/span> or child trafficking?<\/span><\/a><\/span> Christian Science Monitor<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, I suppose it’s inevitable.\u00a0 The day I make a roundup about how abstinence only plans just don’t work, someone has to release a study saying "Hey, maybe they aren’t quite as bad as we thought."\u00a0 Am I daunted?\u00a0 Of course not! This study actually encourages everything we’ve believed about NOT providing abstinence only sex […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4263,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265928\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}