Abstinence study jumps the gun

Re: The Dec. 29, 2008, “abstinence pledge” article “Pre-marital abstinence pledges have no effect, study shows,” The Daily Progress:
Researcher Janet Rosenbaum compared a very small sampling of teens (289) who took an “abstinence pledge” to a group of teens (645) who did not take a pledge back in 1996. The problem with this analysis is there is no reported control for the type of sex education the two groups received. It is impossible to know whether any of the members of either group received any sex education, much less a formal abstinence program.

The prevalent sex education being taught prior to 1996 was “safe sex education.” Abstinence education programs were just starting in 1996, so a virginity/abstinence pledge was done without an abstinence education program being presented. However, that didn’t stop most media reports from using this study as an indictment of abstinence education.
A major report on teen sex education, released by Dr. Stan Weed of the Institute for Research and Evaluation, shows why abstinence education is the most successful method of preventing physical and emotional complications resulting from pre-marital sexual activity. His research is based on the results of many studies that have followed the education and behavior of more than 400,000 adolescents in 30 different states over the past 15 years.

The Worth Your Wait program, which reached more than 6,000 students in Central Virginia in 2008, is a program that does not rely on one-time pledges to measure its successes. WYW provides authentic abstinence education to teens in nine counties in Central Virginia. We provide a clear and consistent message regarding the benefits of delaying sexual activity. Our program provides students with the principles of self-restraint, self-esteem, setting and achieving goals and long-term commitment. In other words, it provides our youth with the core skills required for making wise lifestyle choices.