Report says federal funding should go to more comprehensive sex-ed programs

June 30, 2009, The Orlando Sentinel

Abstinence-only is not the best way to teach sex education, according to a report released by the American Medical Association at its annual meeting this week.

The report by the Council on Science and Public Health concludes that a more comprehensive approach, including information on abstinence, condom use and other contraceptive methods, is the best way to reduce pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among teen-agers.

Federal funding, the report states, should go to "comprehensive programs proven to address these public health issues."

According to theAmerican Medical News, the council reviewed a number of sex education studies. Those studies found "no delay of initiating sexual activity, no reduction in the number of sexual partners and no increase in abstinence" from the abstinence-only approach, said Dr. Stuart Gitlow, who presented the report.

In Florida, a number of school districts still teach abstinence-only. But that's starting to change -- with Volusia and Brevard recently switching to an approach in which abstinence is still stressed but other forms of birth control are mentioned. In Orange, students are taught that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, but educators also offer information to help sexually active students protect themselves.

Lake County still teaches abstinence-only.