WASHINGTON, D.C. — An overwhelming majority of parents believe that high school sex-education courses should focus on abstinence, a new study reports.

Commissioned by Focus on the Family and the Heritage Foundation, the poll was conducted by Zogby International, a highly respected polling organization.

According to the 1,004 parents surveyed nationwide, 96 percent said that abstinence is best for teens. In addition, 91 percent said that the best choice for sexual activity is to have it “linked to love, intimacy and commitment—the qualities that are most likely to occur in a faithful marriage.

“The study shows that about 80 percent of parents want their kids taught that their kids should abstain from sexual activity either until they are married or until they’re in an adult relationship that’s very close to marriage,” Robert Rector, an analyst at The Heritage Foundation, told Focus on the Family.

Other findings include 47 percent of parents who said the best message for sex-education programs to send is that young people should not be involved in sexual intercourse until marriage. Thirty-two percent said they should be taught to not have sex until—at least—they have completed high school and are in a relationship with someone they want to marry. Also, 21.7 percent said sex-education classes should not teach about how to obtain and use condoms.

By contrast, he said only 7 percent of parents want their children taught that it’s OK to have sex if they use a condom, the primary approach used in sex-ed textbooks.

The results, released in late January, were lauded by several pro-family lobby groups including Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council.

“For too long teen-agers have been fed the lie that reliance on contraception amounts to ‘safe sex.’ It doesn’t,” said Genevieve Wood, vice president of communications for FRC. “Parents are waking up to the fact that schools aren’t teaching their children the values of love, commitment and basic life choices that lead to building a healthy marriage.

“Parents play a significant role in whether or not their teen will choose to have sex. Study after study indicates that when teen-agers perceive that their parents, particularly their mothers, strongly disapprove of them having sex, they are more likely to delay sexual activity.”

Linda Klepacki, manager of the abstinence department at Focus on the Family, agreed, saying the findings are significant because it points to the desires of those who have the largest stake in children.

“This poll illustrates that the people most concerned about the health and emotional well-being of America’s children—their moms and dads—recognize that abstinence is the only sure-fire way to protect their kids,” Klepacki said.


Increase in abstinence funding
The poll, conducted in December, meshed with the thoughts of President George W. Bush who, during his State of the Union address, announced that he was doubling the federal government’s funding of abstinence programs for schools.

That move was criticized by Planned Parenthood, which believes a comprehensive approach to sex education reduces sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies and abortion.

“The only thing that will decrease with more abstinence-only education is the safety of teens,” Susanne Martinez, vice president for public policy for Planned Parenthood, said in a statement.

That stand, FRC’s Wood said, is contrary to what’s right for teens and their families.

“Comprehensive sex education proponents have tried to paint supporters of abstinence education as moral and religious zealots who just don’t want children and teenagers to know about sex,” Wood said. “But with three million teens each year contracting a sexually transmitted disease, it’s time we take a closer look at what sex education messages are being taught in our nation’s classrooms. Today’s poll results show that when parents take a closer look, they soundly support abstinence-centered education.”


Published by Keener Communications Group, March 2004