The American College of Pediatricians strongly endorses abstinence-until-marriage sex education and recommends adoption by all school systems in lieu of “comprehensive sex education.” This position is based on “the public health principle of primary prevention—risk avoidance in lieu of risk reduction,” upholding the “human right to the highest attainable standard of health” ().
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Department of Health and Human Services (Dept. HHS). 2008. Oral Abstract D4a – Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis among female adolescents in the United States: Data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004. Presented at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference, March 11, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/2008/media/summaries-11march2008.htm#tues1.
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FreedmanL.P.1995. Censorship and manipulation of reproductive health information. In The right to know: Human right access to reproductive health information, ed. ColiverS., 1–37. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. Quoted by in Hendricks, K. et al. 2006. The attack on abstinence education: fact or fallacy? Medical Institute for Sexual Health.
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Guttmacher Institute. 2006. U.S. pregnancy statistics. New York. Quoted in ‘Abstinence’ or ‘Comprehensive’ sex education?Salt Lake City, Utah: The Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2007.
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HallforsD.D., WallerM.W., FordC.A., HalpernC.T., BrodishP.H., and IritaniB.2004. Adolescent depression and suicide risk: Association with sex and drug behavior. American Journal of Preventative Medicine27: 224–30.
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Institute for Research and Evaluation. 2007. ‘Abstinence’ or ‘Comprehensive’ sex education?Salt Lake City, Utah: The Institute for Research and Evaluation.
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KimC., and RectorR.2008. Abstinence education: assessing the evidence. Backgrounder 2126. Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation.
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ManloveJ.S., Terry-HumenE., IkramullahE.N., and MooreK.A.2006. The role of parent religiosity in teens’ transitions to sex and contraception. Journal of Adolescent Health39: 578–87.
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McIlhaneyJ., and BushF. M.2008. Hooked: New science on how casual sex is affecting our children. Chicago: Northfield Publishing.
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McNeelyC.A., ShewM., BeuhringT., SievingR., MillerB., and BlumR.W.2002. Mothers' influence on adolescents' sexual debut. Journal of Adolescent Health31: 256–65.
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. 2000. Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention. Herndon, Virginia: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
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PardueM., RectorR., and MartinS.2004. Abstinence and its critics. Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation.
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SievingR.E., McNeelyC.A., and BlumR.W.2000. Maternal expectations, mother child connection, and adolescent sexual debut. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine154: 809–16.
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SIECUS. 2004. Guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education. New York, NY and Washington, DC: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.
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SinhaJ.W., CnaanR.A., and GellesR.J.2007. Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study. Journal of Adolescent Health30(2): 231–49.
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StrauchB.2003. The primal teen: What the new discoveries about the teenage brain tell us about our kids. New York, NY: Doubleday.
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SulakP.J., and HerbelinS.2005. Teenagers and sex: Delaying sexual debut. The Female Patient30: 29–38.
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WaxmanH.A.2004The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs. December 2004. United States House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform: Minority Staff Special Investigations Division.
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WeedS.E.2008. Testimony Before the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. April 23, 2008. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
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With One Voice. 2004. National campaign to prevent teen pregnancy. Quoted in Abstinence and Its Critics. October 2006. Washington, DC: US House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform.
