Abstinence Education

A Clear Link Between Abstinence Education and Healthy Marriage

Read an excerpt from "A Scientific Review of Abstinence and Abstinence Programs"  showing the benefit of teen abstinence education.

Zogby Survey Unveils Parents' Attitudes about Abstinence Education
May 2, 2007
A Zogby International survey reveals parents are strongly in favor of abstinence education over comprehensive sex education once they know the truth about abstinence education.

Zogby International Survey
May 2, 2007
Read the newly released survey showing parents overwhelming support of abstinence education versus comprehensive sex ed.

Making A Love Connection
by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and Marline Pearson
The importance of "sequencing" - getting the right order for marriage, sex, and childbearing - has a major impact on one's future success. This paper strives to develop strategies that will give teens a positive vision and expectation for their lives and provide them with the support to achieve it.

Teenage Sexual Abstinence and Academic Achievement
by Robert Rector and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
October 27, 2005
There is strong and widespread support of teaching sexual abstinence to American teens. Over 90 percent of parents, at a minimum, want teens to be taught to abstain from sexual activity until they have at least finished high school.

More Evidence of the Effectiveness of Abstinence Education Programs
by Melissa G. Pardue
May 5, 2005
Teen sexual activity is linked to emotional problems, such as depression, and increased risk of suicide. Abstinence education programs, which encourage teens to delay the onset of sexual activity, are effective in curbing such problems.

Waxman Report Is Riddled with Errors and Inaccuracies
by Melissa G. Pardue
December 2, 2004
Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has consistently opposed funding for abstinence education and in this instance is doing so by making false and misleading statements about the effectiveness of abstinence education.

Comprehensive Sex Education vs. Authentic Abstinence: A Study of Competing Curricula
by Shannan Martin, Robert Rector, and Melissa G. Pardue
August 10, 2004
As this Heritage Foundation Report proves, "abstinence-plus" is simply not abstinence education.

Facts about Abstinence Education
by Robert E. Rector
March 30, 2004
Efforts to redirect funds to programs deceptively labeled as support for "abstinence plus" or "comprehensive sex ed" would take funding away from abstinence education and ...

What Do Parents Want Taught in Sex Education Programs?
by Robert E. Rector, Melissa G. Pardue, and Shannan Martin
January 28, 2004 (Backgrounder #1722)
A nationally representative Zogby International poll shows that American parents overwhelmingly, and in some cases almost unanimously, support the themes and messages of abstinence education ...

Government Spends $12 on Safe Sex and Contraceptives for Every $1 Spent on Abstinence
by Melissa G. Pardue, Robert E. Rector, and Shannan Martin
January 14, 2004
Given the alarming content of most comprehensive sex-ed programs, and given the current funding imbalance between contraceptive promotion and abstinence programs, any new monies devoted ...

The Harmful Effects of Early Sexual Activity and Multiple Sexual Partners Among Women: A Book of Charts
by Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., Lauren R. Noyes, Shannan Martin
June 26, 2003
This report examines the linkages between early initiation of sexual activity, number of non-marital sex partners, and human well-being.

Sexually Active Teenagers Are More Likely to Be Depressed and to Attempt Suicide
by Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Lauren R. Noyes
June 3, 2003
While the physical effects of teen sexual activity are widely known, this study documents the psychological and emotional effects.

Increased Abstinence Causes a Large Drop in Teen Pregnancy
by Melissa G. Pardue
May 2, 2003 (Executive Memorandum #872)
Abstinence programs, endorsed by President Bush and many in Congress, have long been advocated as effective in reducing sexual activity and out-of-wedlock childbearing rates among ...

The Effectiveness of Abstinence Education Programs in Reducing Sexual Activity Among Youth
by Robert E. Rector
April 8, 2002 (Backgrounder #1533)
Real abstinence education is essential to reducing out-of-wedlock childbearing, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and improving emotional and physical well-being among the nation's youth.