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Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Has Unexpected Benefit: Math Gains?
A study by the American Journal for Health Studies finds potential positive academic benefits to abstinence-only education.
Most previous studies on abstinence-only programs have focused on sexual behavior, but a study last year indicated that students in abstinence-only education attain higher math grades.
The study, by the American Journal for Health Studies, matched 21 abstinence-only schools against 21 control schools in Indiana and compared results across a range of metrics. The study working on a two-tailed hypothesis was aimed at determining whether abstinence-only programs had any discernible academic effect, whether that be positive or negative. The study showed that being enrolled in these programs did not appear to affect English skills or attendance rates, however a clear improvement in math scores was noted.
This new study shows that abstinence-only programs have produced: better GPAs and improved verbal and numerical aptitude skills. Other associated social benefits are stronger peer relations, positive youth development, and students are aware of the consequences of risky behavior, such as teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
Abstinence-only programs have been in the news lately as Utah has passed a sex education bill requiring that schools which teach sex education do so with abstinence-only instruction materials. This study offers some support to proponents of such programs that far from being the ‘mandate against reality’ that Democratic Senator Pat Jones derided the Utah law as, abstinence-only does provide tangible benefits to the student.
Among the positive results, students come away with a deeper respect towards the idea of marriage and of improving their own socioeconomic status. Students of these programs are taught the principles and facts that desperately need to be conveyed to their age group, especially when it comes to child-rearing, priorities, and planning for their future. Abstinence-only programs provide inspirational and rational choices for America’s young to be equipped for a life not of regret or hardship, but of hope and responsibility.
However, the benefits of abstinence-only education are still far from being generally accepted; of the 21 states which mandate schools teach sex education, 18 are also required to include contraceptive methods as part of the lesson. Further, more comprehensive studies are expected as the debate continues.
Tuesday
March 13th, 2012
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Comments
This seems like such a random outcome, I’d like to see if there’s any additional research that will bear out the link. Abstinence-only education are far from being generally accepted because abstinence-only education fails spectacularly at its primary purpose: stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and convey accurate information to students.
Linda said: “Abstinence-only education are far from being generally accepted because abstinence-only education fails spectacularly at its primary purpose: stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and convey accurate information to students.”
You might mention that neither do any other type of sex-ed classes. Rates have risen since the onset of sex-ed classes, with few years of stall and reduction. Sex ed has been a failure in it’s mission. At least with abstinence-based info, there’s a chance the kids will come out respecting their bodies and their peers and gaining maturity enough to say no to sex before marriage. Even if the kids drop the “before marriage” idea at some point, it gets them out of school and perhaps college without a pregnancy, disease, or just plain warped sexual attitude.
This possible link with math scores does have some logic to it. Would like to see more research on it.
Actually, there isn’t a chance they’ll come out of it respecting their bodies. But there’s proof that they’re more likely to both engage in non-penetrative intercourse AND get pregnant as teens. Teaching abstinence along with comprehensive sex ed is fine, teaching abstinence only is a fig-leaf. You show me a study that abstinence only education actually correlates with “body respect,” and then we can talk.
Linda,
Abstinence is the only sure-fire method to avoid Sexually-transmitted diseases…and why?. If our kids aren’t having Sex..nothing can be transmitted…Would you rather your teenage girl to be sexually-active or not?
Jim E.
Uh… Has anyone heard that correlation does not prove causation? What are the demographics of these schools included in the study? I’m willing to bet that abstinence-only schools tend to in white-majority areas that generally have a higher socioeconomic status than the usual school. Therefore, these schools probably have better funding and a bigger concentration on math. Of course rich white kids are more likely to do well in math; their schools can afford better teachers and resources. It doesn’t have anything to do with abstinence.
AND
“Among the positive results, students come away with a deeper respect towards the idea of marriage and of improving their own socioeconomic status. Students of these programs are taught the principles and facts that desperately need to be conveyed to their age group, especially when it comes to child-rearing, priorities, and planning for their future. Abstinence-only programs provide inspirational and rational choices for America’s young to be equipped for a life not of regret or hardship, but of hope and responsibility.”
…That is just a bunch of lies.
I reject KS’s suggestion that poor and minority kids can’t have math scores that rise, whether or not it’s due to abstinence-based ed. The only thing holding poor kids back is the crappy atmosphere allowed to fester in which they spend their learning hours, and every adult around them insisting they can’t rise without someone else’s money lavishly spent on them.
I would say that it would be ESPECIALLY likely to see math scores rise in minority and/or poor schools, because they already have a much higher rate of teen pregnancy and other problems that stem from various things i.e. lack of present fathers, etc. Introducing the idea of Abstinence as a lifestyle for their age is novel and fresh, and their taking that path tends to shield them from more negative opportunities that will damage their learning than kids at mainly white and/or wealthy schools.
By the way, the paragraph you call a “bunch of lies” I read as inspiring and completely true. Give kids the benefit of the doubt – they are not destined to behave like sexual animals. The beautiful ideas there are a possibility so long as someone tells them it’s possible.
My, my, JS what a pretty straw man you have built! I guess they didn’t teach you terms like causation and correlation in your abstinence only sex ed class?
Your idea that math scores would rise in minority schools because they have a higher rate of teen pregnancy would only make sense if the abstinence-only sex ed was shown to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy, which, if you’d read the article, you’d have seen that it did not. The most likely explanation was that this study was a blip, and no causation exists between the teaching of AO sex ed and math scores. Or, it’s also possible, there’s a correlation between them and it’s a third factor of some kind that’s influencing them both. For example, if the largely minority schools receive some kind of financial bonus for sticking to AO sex ed, some of that money might have been used to shore up their math curriculum. In that case, the solution isn’t to offer more AO sex ed, but to provide more money for math classes and teach comprehensive sex ed instead.
Would this be a bad time to make a joke about “multiplying?”
Matt
Love your joke!
The study took nothing related to academics into consideration when choosing which schools to compare, and the concluding sentence was in the journal article is, “Studies that compare the influence of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs on academic performance would be very informative for interpreting the findings presented herein.”
The only valid thing we know for certain is that sociologists specializing in gerontology don’t always stick to their area of expertise and journal editors don’t always care.
The journal article is here: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/e71e76ba0a0760415775e4352/files/Peers_Project_study.pdf
SEX ED RULES!
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