First sex depends on sex education

The problems of early sexual intercourse, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and HIV/AIDS infections can be controlled now. The remedy is sexual education.

Photo: First sex depends on sex education

According to the new study, teens who got education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behavior are more likely to treat this question seriously and to put off having sex.

Although some form of sex education is part of the curriculum at many schools, it remains a controversial issue in several countries, particularly with regard to the age at which children should start receiving such education, the amount of detail that is revealed, and topics dealing with human sexuality and behavior.

But the study shows that honest, medically accurate sex education works. Such are the numbers:

71 percent of male teens and 59 percent female teens with sex education were less likely to have sexual intercourse before age 15. The number African-American females having sex before age 15 was reduced by 91 percent.

The researchers found out that the possible effects that sex education had on the sex lives of teens depend on such factor as the wealth of their families.

But still the problem remains: whether classes should teach about contraception or focus entirely on abstinence. Sex education is effective if teens had either or both types of instruction, according to the study.