Volume 07 | Issue 11

Parents Favor Abstinence Education

EP News

(As seen in The Ada Baptist, May 31, 2007)

Parents favor abstience education over comprehensive sex education by a 2-to-1 margin, according to a new Zogby poll. The survey, commissioned by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), reveals attitudes are shifting just in time for Congress to rethink funding of the programs.

Nearly 80 percent of parents said sex education classes should emphasize abstinence rather than condom use. Ninety-three percent want their kids to know condoms aren’t foolproof. Eighty-three percent want their children to wait until marriage to have sex.

Valerie Huber, executive director of NAEA, said parents viewed examples of abstinence curricula before arriving at that conclusion. “There’s so much misinformation out there about what abstinence education is,” she said. “We were convinced that once parents understood the real content of abstinece education, they would overwhelmingly support abstinence.”

If Congress doesn’t take action, federal funding for abstinence-based programs will expire in June. But 60 percent of parents surveyed said they wanted more dollars going to the “wait until marriage” message.

This poll, commissioned by NAEA, was conducted through a telephone survey of parents and children age 10-16.

Key Abstinence Survey Results
– The overwhelming majority of parents want their teens to be abstinent until they are married.
– 9 out of 10 parents agree that being sexually abstinent is best for their child’s health and future, with 8 in 10 strongly agreeing.
– 8 out of 10 parents think it’s important for their child to wait until they’re married to have sex, with 6 in 10 strongly agreeing.
– Parents prefer abstinence education over comprehensive sex education 2 to 1.
– Once they understand what abstinence education acutally teaches, 6 out of 10 parents would rather their child receive aabstinence education vs. comprehensive sex education. Only 3 out of 10 prefer comprehensive.
– At least 8 in 10 parents support the overall approach of abstinence education.