1. Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Comprehensive sexuality education programs promote abstinence as the most effective way to prevent teen pregnancy
and sexually transmitted infections (STI) while also teaching accurate and age appropriate information on healthy
relationships, contraception and STIs.1 Providing this information to adolescents allows them to make responsible
decisions about sexual activity.1
FAST FACTS
• Comprehensive sexuality education provides a • The American Academy of Pediatrics, American
complete message. It is a developmentally College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists,
appropriate sexuality education that covers but is American Medical Association, American Public
not limited to educating people about anatomy, Health Association, Institute of Medicine, and
sexual behaviors, pregnancy prevention strategies Society for Adolescent Medicine, among others,
and gender roles.2 support comprehensive sex education.678910
• Comprehensive sexuality education is effective in • Analysis of data from Youth Risk Behavior surveys
providing adolescents with information to make found that sexual activity among high school youth
responsible choices concerning their sexual health declined significantly from 1991 to 1997, prior to
as well as building knowledge, attitude and skills. 3 large-scale funding of abstinence-only-until-
marriage programs, but changed little from 1999 to
Many Americans support a comprehensive 2003 with federal funding of such programs.11
sexuality education program that includes lessons
• Public opinion polls of parents of middle school
on abstinence as well as contraception. students and high school students show:
o 93% and 91%, respectively, believe that it is
• Comprehensive sexuality education has shown a very important or somewhat important to
positive impact on the behaviors of adolescents, have sexuality education as part of the
including: school curriculum.5
o An increase in the use of contraception4 o 72% and 65%, respectively, believe that the
o A decrease in the onset of sexual activity4 federal government should fund
o A decrease in the number of sexual partners4 comprehensive sexuality education
o A decrease in the frequency of sexual programs.5
activity4 o They supported educating adolescents about
condom and contraception use.5
• The characteristics of an effective sexuality
program include: • 73% of adults and 56% of teens wish for more
o Focusing on abstaining from sexual activity information about both abstinence and birth control
and/or using a form of contraception3 or protection in schools.12
o Addressing social pressures to engage in
sexual activity as well as refusal skills3 RESOURCES
o Reducing sexual behaviors that lead to
unintended pregnancy and STIs3 Healthy Teen Network: www.healthyteennetwork.org
o Involving the participants in a manner that
allows them to personalize the information3 SIECUS: www.siecus.org
• Public opinion polls have shown that parents of Community Action Kit: www.communityactionkit.org
middle school and high school students support a
comprehensive sexuality program.5 Sex Ed Library: www.sexedlibrary.org
Advocates for Youth: www.advocatesforyouth.org
Healthy Teen Network | 509 2nd Street N.E. | Washington, D.C. | 20002 | Ph: (202) 547-8814 | Fax: (202) 547-8815 | www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org

2. REFERENCES
1
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. Comprehensive sexuality education. Retrieved June 1, 2007, from
http://www.massteenpregnancy.org/advocacy/education_brief02.html.
2
Healthy Teen Network. (2001). Advocacy resource guide: Comprehensive sexuality education. Washington, DC: Healthy Teen
Network.
3
Kirby, D. (2001). Emerging answers: research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign
to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
4
McKeon, B. (2006). Effective sex education. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth.
5
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2005). On our side: Public support for comprehensive sexuality
education. Retrieved June 12, 2007, from http://www.siecus.org/policy/public_support.pdf.
6
Klein, J. & Committee on Adolescence. (2005). Adolescent pregnancy: current trends and issues. Pediatrics, 116(1):281-286.
7
Committee on HIV Prevention Strategies in the United States, Institute of Medicine. (2000). No Time to Lose: Getting More from HIV
Prevention. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
8
Society for Adolescent Medicine. (2006). Abstinence-only education policies and programs: a position paper of the Society for
Adolescent Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(1):83-87.
9
American Medical Association. (1999). Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs [Action of the AMA House of Delegates, CSA Report
7-I-99]. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association.
10
Boostra, H. (2002). Legislators craft alternative vision of sex education to counter abstinence-only drive. The Guttmacher Report on
Public Policy, 2,1-3.
11
Feijoo, A & Grayton, C. (2004). Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors among High School Students—United States, 1991 to 1997 and
1999 to 2003. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth.
12
Albert, B. (2007). With one voice 2007: America’s adults and teens sound off about teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Healthy Teen Network | 509 2nd Street N.E. | Washington, D.C. | 20002 | Ph: (202) 547-8814 | Fax: (202) 547-8815 | www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org