Comprehensive sex education is responsible and balanced sexuality education that seeks to assist young people in understanding a positive view of sexuality, provide them with information and skills about caring for their sexual health, and help them acquire skills to make decisions now and in the future. It is medically accurate and provides information about abstinence and contraceptives as tools to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Are comprehensive sex education programs effective?
Research shows that teenagers who receive sex education that includes discussion of contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual activity and to use contraceptives when they do become sexually active.[1] In addition, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence suggests that addressing abstinence and contraception does not increase sexual activity.[2]
Read the most recent review about comprehensive sex education and the strong evidence that these programs had positive effects on sexual behavior.

Who supports comprehensive sex education?
More than eight out of ten Americans believe that young people should have information about protecting themselves from unplanned pregnancies and STIs.[3] Over 90% of teachers believe that students should be taught about contraception and one in five teachers believe they are not meeting their students' needs for information.[4] In addition, medical and public health organization including the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the Society of Adolescent Medicine (SAM) all support responsible sex education that includes information about both abstinence and contraception.

Parents and voters overwhelmingly support responsible sex education.
The vast majority of parents in the United States support responsible sex education. A February 2007 poll done by Peter D Hart Research Associates, Inc. showed that 75% of all voters strongly favor Congress requiring public schools to teach comprehensive sex education, which includes information about contraception, abstinence, and how to avoid STIs, such as HIV and AIDS. A majority of voters in nearly every demographic category strongly support comprehensive sex education and want public schools to teach it, including:

78% of Catholics
76% of Independent voter
72% of voters from red states
66% of Republicans

What is the Healthy Teens Act? »

1. Kirby D (2001), Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy, Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
2. Ibid.
3. NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University (2004), Poll: Sex Education in America.
4. Darroch JE et al. (2000), Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988-1999, Family Planning Perspectives 32(5): 204-211 & 265.