New research has surfaced reaffirming that programs that promote sexual abstinence during the teenage years are beneficial to young people.
Proponents of comprehensive sex education on Capitol Hill are seeking to eliminate the funding for both the Community Based Abstinence Program and the Title V abstinence state grant program. But researchers Christine Kim and Robert Rector of The Heritage Foundation have unveiled a comprehensive review of 21 prior studies of the effectiveness of abstinence and virginity pledge programs. They found that 16 of the 21 studies reported positive findings. According to Kim, at stake is a message that many parents would agree with -- and that is the important message that abstinence is clearly a healthy and responsible lifestyle for teens. "There are very few voices in our society clearly giving that message to our children -- abstinence education is one of the few," says the researcher. "And there are opponents who do not agree with that message [or] that value, and are trying to eliminate it." Kim says although critics of abstinence education have often pointed to one or two studies and argued that abstinence programs do not work, one cannot make such an assessment without looking at the full body of research available. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins applauded the Heritage research, noting "Given the huge cost of sexually transmitted infections among teens in our society, the government should support effective abstinence education programs like those Heritage has reviewed." And government should not "promote programs that encourage young teens to engage in physically and emotionally risky sexual behavior," he adds.
If you believe OneNewsNow.com is an important source for Christian news, please consider a small tax-deductible gift for this service.
