Abstinence education gets the numbers it needs

By Scott Thormaehlen
Accuracy in Academia

A study published last year by the American Journal for Health Studies by Kennethy F. Ferraro (PhD) and Karis A. Pressler (MA), showed that students in abstinence-only education got higher math grades.

In the state of Indiana, the study matched 42 schools against each other looking at English, Math, and attendance rates. 21 of the schools taught abstinence-only education while the others did not. Ferraro and Pressler discovered that while skills in English and attendance rates did not differ in schools with or without abstinence-only education, grades in math were shown to have improved among sophomores who received the program.

The results of the 42 schools tested showed that schools with PEERS had 72.62 percent passing the math assessments and those without at a percentage of 67.14. Each year it showed an increase of 1.5 percent of those who pass both English and Math.

For years the study notes, most previous studies on abstinence programs focused solely on sexual behavior while ignoring the effects on academic performance, until now.

This new study shows that abstinence-only programs have produced: better GPAs and improved verbal and numerical aptitude skills. Other associated social benefits are stronger peer relations, positive youth development, and students are aware of the consequences of risky behavior, such as teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

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