CBNNEWS.COM [2]
A new type of abstinence-only program can delay teens from having sex, according to a recent study involving sixth and seventh graders.
Students in the study, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, were not taught to save sex until marriage or disparage condom use. Instead, students were given assignments to note the pros and cons of sexual activity. And they found the cons far outnumbered the pros.
Researchers say the results of the study indicate that an abstinence program could work.
Groups such as the National Abstinence Education Association hope the new study will affect public policy for sex education.
"I think we've written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence," John B. Jemmott III, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who led the federally funded study, told The Washington Post. "Our study shows this could be one approach that could be used."
Two years later, only one-third of the students said they had engaged in sex. Critics of abstinence-only programs say most evidence shows they don't work.
However, some advocacy groups praised the study and hope it will affect public policy for sex education.
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