Fear Versus Norm Appeals In Abstinence-centered Sex Education

A vigorous debate as to which educational approaches to educating youth about sexual health and the potential consequences of sexual behavior would be most effective is ongoing in the United States, as well as worldwide. A substantial body of research has identified a number of characteristics of programs, which are effective in impacting teens’ sexual understanding, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, yet many questions still remain. A national survey found that a majority of adults and teens agree that schools should give teens a strong message that they should abstain from sex until they are at least out of high school (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy), yet there is no consensus in our country as to whether programs that have a strong abstinence message are effective in delaying teen sexual involvement or whether educational resources would be better spent on programs that seek to increase the use of condoms to reduce unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (Hymowitz, 2003). The debate is also hampered by a dearth of studies of programs designed to help delay sexual involvement that use rigorous research designs (Manlove, Papillo,& Ikramullah, 2004).