Abstinence-only sex education is back on solid scientific ground, with a study showing the method may be more effective than safe sex education in discouraging young teens from taking the plunge. Different groups of 6th- and 7th-graders were given short courses in abstinence, safe sex, or a combination of the two. Two years later, 33% of the abstinence students had become sexually active, compared to 52% of the safe-sex pupils.
The study could bring federal funding to the method, as the Obama administration's new pregnancy prevention program will fund only scientifically proven programs, reports the Washington Post. While a proponent calls the new findings “game-changing,” critics caution that it doesn't validate all abstinence programs: This approach did not encourage kids to wait until marriage to have sex, but just until they were ready, and did not discourage condom use, as do many abstinence programs. (More abstinence education stories.)
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