Sex Education Woes

Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 8:21:02 PM

Texoma schools may need to re-evaluate their sex-ed programs. As KTEN's Noelle Newton explains...students studying one type of curriculum are doing the opposite of what they're being taught.

Abstinence only programs don't seem to be very effective on the behavior of teens according to a new study.

A state-sponsored study by Texas A and M University researchers indicates that abstinence-only programs like those promoted by the bush administration don't seem to be working on teens in the president's home state. The ongoing study is the first evaluation of the abstinence programs across the state of Texas.

It found that students in almost all high school grades were more sexually active after undergoing abstinence education. Researchers don't believe the programs encouraged teenagers to have sex, but they say the programs apparently did not interfere with customary trends among adolescents.

We wanted to know what Texomans thought.
“It seems to work. Some kids are still doing it, but it think they're using a condom,” Dimitri Morton, Denison High student.
“Before they would just say, hey if you're gonna do it at least be safe about it. Evidently, the abstinence only isn't working right now. Maybe they need to change it back,” Gene Willman.

The results are based on a ten-page questionnaire filled out anonymously by junior high and high school students. The study examined five programs in more than two-dozen schools.

The researchers admit the study does have flaws, making it hard to tell if the teens would've shown an even greater increase in sexual activity if they hadn't had abstinence education.
-Noelle Newton, KTEN News