The Myth: The rate of teen pregnancy has decreased since sex education became widely available.
The TRUTH: Sex education became widely taught in schools in the 1960s. Since then, the number of premarital pregnancies and abortions has skyrocketed. It is only with the introduction of authentic abstinence education in schools during the 1990s that the rates declined.
The Myth: STDs are not common in young people.
The TRUTH: One in five Americans currently has an STD; 63 percent of all STDs occur in people younger than 25 years of age.5 There are 12 million new STD contractions every year. Teens contract 3.8 million STDs each year.2
The Myth: Sex is no big deal, and all teens are doing it.
The TRUTH: Of teens in ninth through twelfth grades, 54.2 percent of teens are virgins!8 And a majority of those who have had sex wish that they had not.3
The Myth: Condoms prevent HIV/AIDS and STDs.
The TRUTH: Condoms fail to prevent exposure to HIV/AIDS – a disease that is still 100 percent fatal - nearly 16 percent of the time.6 There is no scientific evidence that condoms prevent transmission of chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes, syphilis, chanchroid or human papilloma virus (HPV).5
The Myth: “Comprehensive” sex education - instructions on condom usage – receives no federal funding.
The TRUTH: Some 25 federal programs contain funding for contraception-based “comprehensive” sex ed. Funding for those programs in FY2002 427.7 million.4
The Myth: Abstinence-until-marriage programs “only” teach abstinence.
The TRUTH: Abstinence Education Programs teach “building self-esteem, developing values/character traits, formulating goals, making decisions, avoiding risky behavior, maximizing communication, strengthening relationships, understanding development and anatomy, preventing STDs, withstanding social and peer pressure, addressing consequences/self-control, resolving sexual conflicts, learning etiquette and manners, aspiring to marriage, understanding parenthood” and medically-accurate condom/contraception failure rates.
The Myth: Teens do not want to learn about abstinence.
The TRUTH: 93% of teens believe that they should be given a strong message about abstinence.7
It is time to bring sensible balance to programs aimed at preventing STDs and teen pregnancy. Support abstinence-until-marriage education programs that give truth to youth about the only 100 percent effective protection against STDs and premarital pregnancy.
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1 “Teen Pregnancy Rates in the United States, 1972-2002,” National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 2006
2 “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior,” Office of the Surgeon General, Washington, D.C. 2001
3 “The Case for the Cautious Generation,” National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 2002.
4 “2002 Federal Sex-Ed/Contraception vs. Abstinence Funding Fact Sheet,” Republican Study Committee, 2002. Available on line at http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/Abstinence4.PDF
5 “Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for STD Prevention,” National Institutes of Health. 2001
6 “Men With Broken Condoms: Who and Why?,” STI Online. 2006.
7 “Science Says: Teens’ Attitudes Toward Sexual Activity, 2002.
8 “2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey,” Centers for Disease Control. 2005
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