Two new studies
released Tuesday provided evidence that abstinence for youth is “healthy and
effective.”
Friday,
Jun. 17, 2005 6:34:32AM EST
Two
new studies released Tuesday provided evidence that abstinence for youth is “healthy
and effective.”
The
reports for both of these studies were released at the Welfare Research and Evaluation
Conference by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to
Christina Espenscheid, the education program director of the Abstinence Clearinghouse.
One
study showed that teens who participated in abstinence program were more aware of the
consequences caused by sexual activity before marriage and thought more highly of
abstinence than students who were not in the programs.
Leslee
J. Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, said in the organization’s news
release that “abstinence education results in self-confident, healthy kids."
"Every
child in America deserves the best," Unruh said. "When it comes to health
instruction, the best is abstinence until marriage education.”
The
second study, also providing evidence to efficacy of abstinence education, was based on
virginity pledges.
Robert
Rector and Dr. Kirk Johnson, who conducted the study, found serious flaws in the previous
analysis of virginity pledges released by Peter Bearman and Hannah Bruckner of Columbia University,
according to the news release.
In
their analysis, which was based on data found in the National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent Health (Add Health), Bearman and Bruckner inferred that virginity pledgers are
more likely to engage in alternative sexual activities in comparison to non-pledgers from
a subset of only 21 respondents out of a total sample of 14,116.
However,
they said that when health data is added, the opposite is revealed.
The
two said previous researchers missed out on four statistically significant measures of
sexually transmitted disease (STD), all of which showed that pledgers were far less likely
to have an STD than non-pledgers.
Rector
and Johnson's findings revealed that taking a virginity pledge brings a various range of
positive outcomes; regardless of how long it may be from pledge to marriage.
"Adolescents
who take virginity pledges are less likely to have sexually transmitted diseases as young
adults when compared to non-pledgers from similar backgrounds. Adolescents who take
virginity pledges are also less likely to engage in 'alternate sexual activity’
(behavior other than vaginal intercourse). The more risky the behavior the less likely
pledgers are to do it," they said.
Unruh
agrees.
“Virginity
pledges, as one component of holistic abstinence education, are proven to be effective
where contraceptive sex education has failed America's teens,” said Unruh.
“Once
again, the abstinence education, wanted by parents everywhere, is proven healthy and
effective.”
The
Abstinence Clearinghouse serves as an association for the abstinence community. The
Clearinghouse is a non-profit educational organization that promotes the appreciation for
and practice of sexual abstinence through distribution of age-appropriate, factual and
medically-accurate materials.
For
more information on the organization, visit http://abstinence.net |