In case you missed it, a new study was published this month that confirms what many of us already knew – teens who receive formal comprehensive sexuality education are more likely to delay their first sexual experience, and also have healthier behavior regarding intercourse and sexual relationships. - Those who received education on both abstinence and birth control had sex for the first time at an older age than those who received no formal education.
- Those who received education on both abstinence and birth control were more likely to use birth control than those who had no formal education.
- For both men and women, healthier relationship behavior during the first sexual engagement was more likely for those who had received some type of formal sex education than those that had received none. This behavior includes using contraception, using a condom, not having unwanted sex, or having sex with a romantic partner.
- Nearly one third of young men of color had not received instruction on either abstinence or birth control methods before their first sexual engagement.
- Low-income youth were less likely than youth of other socio-economic classes to receive formal sex education that included abstinence and birth control methods.
If you are wondering how ACRJ and Strong Families is working to ensure that young people in Oakland are getting comprehensive sex education in their schools, read about our youth organizing work here.