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Comprehensive Sex Education

Substantial evidence of the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education has recently emerged. Comprehensive sex ed stresses abstinence and includes age-appropriate, medically accurate information about contraception. Comprehensive sex ed is also developmentally appropriate, introducing information on relationships, decision-making, assertiveness, and skill building to resist social/peer pressure, depending on grade-level.

As part of welfare reform, Congress passed legislation in 1996 allocating $50 million in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs—which censor information about contraception. Since then, despite no evidence of the effectiveness of these programs and Americans' opposition to federal funding for them, the government has dumped more and more taxpayer money into unrealistic and unproven abstinence-only programs. Click below for more information:

• NEW! Science and Success, Second Edition: Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections [full study report html] [full study report pdf]
  • Executive Summary [html] [pdf]
• Myths and Facts about Sex Education (The Facts) [html]
• The REAL Act Introduced into Congress!
• "REAL" Sex Education for America's Youth - Statement by James Wagoner
• Sex Education: Isn't it Time to Listen to the Pediatricians, Not the Politicians?
• The Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® Keep it REAL Campaign—End Censorship in America's Schools
• The Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^®Fix the GAP Campaign—Stop U.S. Exportation of Abstinence-Only Programs
• Coalition of Religious Leaders Issue Open Letter in Support of Comprehensive Sex Education
• Leading Medical Association Rejects Abstinence-Only Policies—Programs at Odds With Medical Ethics and Basic Human Rights
• The Responsible Education About Life Act
• New Reports Show "Just Say No" Programs Ineffective & Inaccurate
• Selection Tool to Identify Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Scenarios USA: Films Written by and for Teens
• 77 Organizations Urge President Bush to Withdraw Support for Abstinence-Only Programs
• Sex Education Programs: Definitions & Point-by-Point Comparison
• History of Government Funding for Abstinence-Only Programs
• American Medical Association's Recommendation for Good Sex Ed
• Americans Support Comprehensive Sex Ed & Oppose Abstinence-Only Programs
• Characteristics of Effective Sex Education Programs
• Family Life Education Act
• National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education
• Press Releases
• Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® Campaign
• Teens Need Information, Not Censorship—Remarks by James Wagoner
• Common Sense: America's Youth and Sexual Health—Speech by Jennifer, Youth Activist

Publications on Comprehensive Sex Ed and Abstinence-Only Programs:

• Condom Effectiveness (The Facts) [html] [pdf]
• Effective Sex Education (formally Sex Education: Curricula and Programs) (The Facts) [html] [pdf]
• European Approaches to Adolescent Sexual Behavior & Responsibility [full study report pdf]
  • Executive Summary & Call to Action [html] [pdf]
• The Librarian's Guide To Sex Education Resources: Audiovisual, Print, and Web-based Materials for Youth, Parents, and Youth-Serving Professionals [pdf]
• Resource Guide for Sex Educators: Basic Resources that Every Sex Educator Needs to Know About [pdf]
• Resources for Sex Educators and Trainers: Parent-Child Communication about Sexuality for Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Native American Families [pdf]
• Responsible Education about Life (REAL) Act (The Facts) [html] [pdf]
• Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® (3Rs) Campaign Kit. (Transitions) To read this issue, visit the 3Rs Campaign Web site.
• Rights. Respect. Responsibility.®—The Keep it REAL Campaign (Campaign Toolkit) [html] [pdf]
• Science or Politics? George W. Bush and the Future of Sexuality Education in the United States (The Facts) [html] [pdf]
• Sex Education for Physically, Emotionally, and Mentally Challenged Youth (From Research to Practice) [html] [pdf]
• Speaking Out! Connecticut's Parents and Other Adults Want Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools [html] [pdf]
• Teens & Sex in Europe: A Story of Rights, Respect & Responsibility [video]
• There's No Place Like Home … for Sex Education [html] [pdf]
  • en español—No hay lugar como el hogar … para la educación sexual [html] [pdf]
  • NEW! Also available for Native Americans [html] (page to open in new window)