Government Support for Abstinence- Only-Until-Marriage Education

Sexual development is a normal part of adolescence; however, teenage sexual behavior increases the likelihood of unintended pregnancy and STDs. In recent years, there have been highly politicized discussions on how best to prevent negative reproductive health outcomes in adolescents. For the past 12 years, the federal government has endorsed abstinenceonly-until-marriage (AOUM) as its primary approach to sex education. Federally funded AOUM programs must promote abstinence from sexual activity and limit discussion of condoms and contraception (except with regard to failure rates). Although monetary support for these programs has increased substantially in the past decade, no research has shown that they are effective at preventing teen pregnancies and STDs. Furthermore, recent analyses reveal that many of these programs contain misleading and medically inaccurate information. As a result, most youth-centered medical organizations support comprehensive sex education that includes developmentally appropriate information on condoms and contraception.