Abstinence education can work

In response to the letter, “Young minds and bodies: Is ignorance bliss?” (Aug 13, online), we want to offer another perspective.

A study tracking the efficacy of abstinence education, published in the February 2010 Archives of Paediatric & Adolescent Medicine, proves that abstinence education can work.

This landmark research studied 662 high-risk African-American students between 11 and 13 years old and found that those who received abstinence-centred education initiated sex less.

In this regard, students who received safe-sex and comprehensive sex education showed little difference compared to students who received no formal sex education.

This shows that with the right guidance and proper teaching of boundaries, young people can be trusted to make wise decisions to abstain from premature sexual activities.

Marriages and families tend to survive for a lifetime when entered into by two loving, mutually monogamous individuals who have saved themselves sexually for each other and remain faithful to one another.

Abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage have historically protected and will continue to protect individuals and society.

Parents should always be the primary communicators with their children about sexuality, imparting values and the family’s religious positions. No effective programme can operate without the support of parents.

Schools should want parental involvement and do everything in their power to cooperate with parents in sexuality education.

With the support of parents and society, abstinence-centred education can and does promote healthy sexuality and provide hope as well as a road map for future fulfilment for a young person.