1. Choosing the Best is an “abstinence-centered” sex education program. What does this mean?
Abstinence-centered education is a wholistic approach to sex education that strongly promotes the value of abstinence as the best and healthiest choice, while also teaching students about goal-setting, healthy relationships, refusal skills, and character building. As an abstinence-centered program, Choosing the Best informs students about the significant risks associated with casual sex, including unplanned pregnancy, STDs, and negative emotional consequences. 
2. Does Choosing the Best provide students with information about contraception?
Yes. Choosing the Best educates about contraceptives; however, Choosing the Best does not advocate or demonstrate contraceptive use. Contraceptive methods are presented, including data about efficacy rates with respect to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Choosing the Best shows, for example, that when used consistently and correctly, condoms are most effective at reducing the risk of HIV (85%) but are less effective in protecting against STDs such as chlamydia, herpes, and HPV.1 The facts presented are supported by the CDC, illustrating the CDC’s conclusion that “condom use cannot guarantee absolute protection against any STD2” and teaching that only abstinence offers complete, 100% protection against both STDs and pregnancy.
3. What about reports in the press a few years back that abstinence-centered education doesn’t work, citing the Mathematica study?
Claims that abstinence-centered education doesn’t work, based on the results of a 2007 Mathematica study, are misguided and false.
- There are 14 research studies showing that abstinence-centered programs are effective in reducing teen sexual activity. The most recent of these studies, led by Dr. John Jemmott, was widely covered in the media as a “landmark study” because it evaluated abstinence, safe-sex, and comprehensive sex education programs. The study found that the abstinence program was more effective at reducing teen sex than either the safe sex or comprehensive programs and that only the abstinence program significantly reduced teen sex. Further, students receiving the abstinence program who did have sex reported the same condom usage as students receiving the other two programs.3
- The Mathematica study contained such serious limitations (e.g. 4 to 6 year follow-up periods) that the study’s own researchers warned “not to draw sweeping conclusions about the effectiveness of all abstinence programs” based on this study.4
4. Does Choosing the Best have any evidence that it works?
Yes. An independent research study conducted by Dr. Stan Weed showed that Choosing the Best reduces teen sex by 47% versus a comparison group that did not receive the program. The study, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, included Choosing the Best WAY, PATH, and LIFE. Students were administered a detailed survey prior to the study and again 12 months later. Three hundred eighteen students were able to be tracked and matched at the pre-test and 12 month follow-up and had usable sexual activity status data. After one year, results among those students in the Choosing the Best program versus those being taught from the health textbook indicated a statistically significant 47 percent lower rate of sexual activity. There were also statistically significant improvements in attitudes toward delaying sexual intercourse among the Choosing the Best participants.5 These results are consistent with earlier research studies.
Additionally, an ambitious and rigorous evaluation of the Choosing the Best 9th grade classroom curriculum was initiated in September 2009. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Choosing the Best in preventing sexual involvement among high school students. The two-year study is considered a “gold standard evaluation” because it uses a randomized, controlled study design. The pre and post-test data collected from the six participating schools show that students who received Choosing the Best demonstrated significant improvement on 1) intentions to be abstinent 2) attitudes about abstinence and 3) refusal skills.6 To read more about these preliminary results, click here. [PDF, 125KB]
5. Is Choosing the Best medically accurate?
Yes. The Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has completed a thorough and objective review of the medical and scientific information in Choosing the Best programs and found them to be medically accurate.
Choosing the Best is committed to providing medically accurate information. Choosing the Best curricula contain facts gathered from the most reliable and current sources of information available, such as peer-reviewed, published journals and government agency publications. Because new medical studies and conclusions are always becoming available, Choosing the Best regularly updates materials to reflect the latest information. Additionally, Choosing the Best has established a Medical Advisory Board, a team of medical experts that review and approve Choosing the Best curricula.
6. Isn’t teaching abstinence to teens unrealistic?
No. Normal adolescent curiosity is a part of growing up, and the media message that pre-marital sex is expected, fun and has no consequences has a powerful influence on young people. However, when given the facts concerning the physical and emotional risks of sexual activity and the rewards of being abstinent – being able to pursue goals and dreams, often not possible with an unplanned pregnancy or disease – the majority of teens today are choosing abstinence. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the rates of teen sexual activity have dropped by nearly 11 percent between 1991 and 2007, and that the majority of teens today—52 percent—have not had sex.7
Choosing the Best knows that not every teen will abstain from having sex, just as not every teen who knows the risks of smoking will choose not to smoke. However, the goal of abstinence education is prevention and risk avoidance, consistent with our message to teens about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Abstinence education provides teens with the facts about the negative emotional and physical consequences of pre-marital sex, as well as the benefits of waiting, empowering them to make an informed choice about their sexual behavior.
Choosing the Best also addresses the needs of students who have already been sexually active by teaching that students can still choose—and benefit from — choosing abstinence from this day forward (i.e., “renewed virginity”).
7. Do abstinence-centered programs simply tell teens to ‘just say no?’
No, effective abstinence-centered education programs such as Choosing the Best are multi-dimensional and cover a number of critical topics in helping equip teens to make the only choice – abstinence until marriage – that eliminates the risk of STDs, negative emotional effects, and teen pregnancy. Choosing the Best offers five age-appropriate programs for middle and high school students and provides sex and relationship education content in nine areas: Risks (emotional, STDs, teen pregnancy), Rewards (decision making, goal setting, marriage planning), Relationship Education (friendships, understanding guys and girls, healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, preventing sexual abuse and date rape), Alcohol (dangers of mixing alcohol and sex), Refusal Skills (setting boundaries, developing verbal skills and assertiveness skills), Pledge (making a commitment to abstinence), Character Development (responsibility, self-respect, courage, perseverance, compassion, respect), Parent Involvement (parent training and homework interviews), and Building Self-esteem (and appreciating unique qualities, interests, or skills).
8. Isn’t waiting until marriage too strict a requirement? What about kids who don’t want to get married or who will do so later in life?
The only way to eliminate the risk of an STD is to be abstinent until you enter into a mutually monogamous relationship as is typically found in marriage, with an uninfected partner, and remain faithful in that relationship for the rest of your life. The emotional effects of being involved with someone sexually and then having that relationship end can be devastating, regardless of age. Even if a person has reached an age where they are emotionally more mature and better able to cope with these effects, the physical risks of STDs are still present – regardless of age – and can significantly affect a person’s health and life.
Postponing sex until a teen is out of high school does not eliminate, or in some cases, even reduce the risk. A recent survey of single women aged 20 to 25 showed that more than one-half had contracted HPV, the disease that can cause cervical cancer, which kills nearly 4,000 women each year.8 It would be nice to be able to tell teens that if they wait until they’re out of high school, or some “magical” age, that they would not have to deal with the physical or emotional consequences of premarital sex, but unfortunately this simply isn’t true.
9. Does Choosing the Best address homosexuality?
No, Choosing the Best programs do not include any references to homosexuality. Abstinence education is about encouraging teens to eliminate the risks of sexual behavior. All teens need this message, regardless of their sexual orientation.
10. Aren’t abstinence-centered education programs and Choosing the Best fundamentally about religious conviction?
No, Choosing the Best programs do not include any references to religion. Abstinence-centered education and Choosing the Best are about promoting health for our teens. Although some teens that choose abstinence may also be influenced by their personal religious convictions, abstinence-centered education is about making healthy choices to be free from the risks of STDs, unplanned pregnancy and negative emotional consequences. It is about freedom to pursue future dreams and goals, regardless of religious preference or conviction.
11. Do communities really want abstinence-centered education?
Yes! Over 90% of parents and teens think teens should be given a strong message about the importance of abstinence, at least until they are out of high school.9
Parents strongly support abstinence education over comprehensive sex education. In a 2007 national Zogby poll:
- Parents preferred their child receive abstinence education over comprehensive sex education by a 2:1 margin.
- 8 out of 10 parents think it’s important for their teen to wait until they’re married to have sex.
- 8 out of 10 parents want schools to emphasize promoting abstinence over contraceptive use.
- Parents overwhelmingly support the abstinence education approach toward discussing contraception:
- 9 out of 10 parents want their teens to be taught how often condoms fail to prevent pregnancy based upon typical use and about the limitations of condoms in preventing specific STDs.
- 2 out of 3 parents think the “wait to have sex” message ends up being lost when programs demonstrate and encourage the use of contraception.
- 8 out of 10 parents think teens will not use a condom every single time.
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