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?
The American public does not view messages that encourage young people to delay sexual activity and messages that encourage sexually active teens to use contraception as competing messages. Instead, most adults and teens seem to view them as complimentary strategies.
The National Campaign’s own survey data (With One Voice 2007) shows that nine in ten adults and teens believe that teens should be given a strong message from society that they should not have sex until they are at least out of high school. However, this overwhelming support for encouraging young people to delay sex should not be misinterpreted as overwhelming support for providing young people only with messages about abstinence. The same survey shows that 76% of adults and 64% of teens wish that young people were getting more information about abstinence and contraception, rather than either/or.
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