What should public schools teach our children about sex? It can be a complex question, especially when dealing with morals, social norms, pop culture, hormones and health. When students sit down for their sex education, should teachers embrace an abstinence-only policy?
Since the early 1990s, the teen pregnancy rate has declined 38% and the teen birth rate has plummeted by one-third. There has been progress in all 50 states and among all racial/ethnic groups. By any measure, this is an extraordinary success story on an issue many once considered intractable. Although researchers may disagree about the exact contribution of each, all agree that some combination of less sex activity and more contraceptive use have contributed to the overall decline in early pregnancy and childbearing. Given this, doesn’t it make sense to support a two-part strategy—one that encourages teens to delay sexual activity and that encourages sexually active teens to use contraception consistently and carefully.
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