REAL Sex Education Act
REAL (Responsible Education About Life) Act Promotes REAL Sex Education
Responsible sex education programs improve the health and well-being of young people. And contrary to claims by anti-choice groups, they do not increase sexual activity. In fact, studies demonstrate they can help young people delay sexual activity and increase contraceptive use among those who are sexually active, as well as decrease the number of partners among those who are sexually active. According to Douglas Kirby, a senior research scientist at ETR Associates who has analyzed hundreds of program evaluations, there is strong evidence that comprehensive sex education can effectively help delay sex among young people, even as it increases condom and overall contraceptive use among sexually active youth.
Real sex education
- teaches abstinence as the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections
- encourages family communication about sexuality
- teaches skills for making responsible decisions about sex, including how to avoid unwanted verbal, physical, and sexual advances and how not to make unwanted verbal, physical, and sexual advances
It is irresponsible to withhold information from teens that can help protect them from unintended pregnancy and dangerous infections — and that may just save their lives.
Planned Parenthood supports passage of the REAL (Responsible Education About Life) Act, which would fund only education programs that are evidence-based, medically accurate, and age-appropriate, and that provide full information about both abstinence and contraception, among other topics. The REAL Act was most recently introduced in March 2009.
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