Sex Ed in America--the Good News

By Suzanne Schrag | August 13, 2015

John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight segment on Sex Education has certainly been getting some air play around the country, as well as here at the ETR offices. If you haven’t yet seen it, it’s well worth watching. (Note: Language may not be suitable for work—use your headphones just in case.)

 

Oliver points out the glaring inconsistencies in what young people in the United States are being—and not being—taught about sex. He offers up a very funny video at the end of the segment that would truly be a huge improvement to many of those that have been shown in sex ed classrooms across the U.S.

There’s plenty of bite, of course, in pointing out what’s not working, or what’s just plain wrong, about sexuality education in this country. And there’s plenty to point to, including the wide-eyed, intense-to-the-edge-of-looking-crazed preachers of abstinence only, and the strict restrictions on speaking about any kind of contraception in those very states that rank highest in unplanned teen pregnancy rates.

It may seem obvious to the generally liberal and progressive fans of Last Week Tonight that straightforward talk about sex—including an acknowledgment that teens are having it—is a no-brainer. As is giving young people information about contraceptive methods and safer sex practices that will help protect them from unplanned pregnancy and STD, including HIV.

But what is the best way to give kids those straight-up facts in a manner that will actually shape their choices and influence their behaviors?

We Have Evidence About What Works

The show points out that funding for abstinence-only education is still around. What it doesn’t mention is the nearly $60 million in federal funding recently awarded by the Office of Adolescent Health for replication of evidence-based programs for teen pregnancy prevention. These are programs that have been scientifically evaluated and have shown a positive impact in reducing risk behaviors related to pregnancy and STD.

Evidence-based programs:

• Are based on theoretical approaches demonstrated to be effective in reducing health-related risk behaviors.
• Target clearly defined health behavior outcomes.
• Have statistically significant results from at least one rigorous research study.
• Use multiple learning activities and strategies.
• Feature interactive and cooperative learning approaches.
• Provide training and support for teachers.

So it’s not as if we have no idea what kind of sexuality education can work. In fact, as the late Dr. Doug Kirby wrote in Emerging Answers 2007, “The quality and quantity of evaluation research in this field has improved dramatically and there is now more persuasive evidence than ever before that a limited number of programs can delay sexual activity, improve contraceptive use among sexually active teens, and/or prevent teen pregnancy.”

In addition to presenting the evidence that shows that federally funded abstinence-only sexuality programs don’t work, Emerging Answers reviewed and documented the effectiveness of a number of research-based comprehensive sexuality education programs that do work. These programs had positive outcomes such as delaying the initiation of sex, reducing the frequency of sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing condom or contraceptive use. In fact, two-thirds of the comprehensive programs that supported both abstinence and the use of condoms and contraceptives for sexually active teens had positive behavioral effects.

More Than Just the Facts

Effective programs focus on much more than giving students the facts about reproduction, HIV and other STDs. They also build personal values and attitudes that support healthy behaviors, shape positive peer norms, and give young people practice in the skills they need to adopt, practice and maintain healthy behaviors.

Evidence-based sexuality education programs help students learn how to resist sexual pressures, maintain a commitment to abstinence, and correctly and consistently use condoms and other forms of contraception if and when they become sexually active. These evidence-based programs include ETR’s Reducing the Risk, which has been independently evaluated in three separate research studies. All three studies found the program had statistically significant effects on participants’ behaviors, including delaying the initiation of sex and reducing the incidence of unprotected sex. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies 15 Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum, based in part on Dr. Kirby and colleagues’ work, that summarize the research-based elements that inform effective programs, including those focused on sexual health.

In addition to the evidence-based programs on the official OAH list, there are also a growing number of evidence-informed sexual health curricula. Although not formally evaluated through a research study with published results, these programs incorporate the research-proven characteristics of effective programs, and provide students with both functional knowledge and critical skills. ETR’s comprehensive HealthSmart curriculum and Public Health Seattle–King County’s FLASH program are two examples.

Having the Last Laugh

The Last Week Tonight segment points out how far we still have to go in this country to ensure that all of our young people receive the medically accurate information and skills practice they need to protect and embrace their sexual health. But I think it’s also important for people to know that there are many valuable and sound programs out there that are doing just that.

Effective, research-based, comprehensive sexuality education offers much less entertaining fodder for a comedy news show, but provides much more hope for a better and sexually healthy future for America’s youth.

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Suzanne Schrag is an editor and product manager for evidence-based programs at ETR.

Did you know? Now that ETR has joined with Select Media, we offer the largest selection of evidence-based sexual and reproductive health programs in the world. Learn more about these programs and our training and technical assistance for implementing them effectively at our Program Success Center website.