A&M Partnership

November 7, 2006 - There is much concern today about the problem of “teen-pregnancy,” however the good news is that this is a steadily decreasing problem.  While still an issue of great concern to those of us who work in the field of teen-pregnancy prevention, it’s important to point out that teens aren’t our only concern.

On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 otherwise known as “Welfare Reform.”  This legislation recognized that one of the leading indicators of poverty and welfare dependency was out-of-wedlock pregnancy.  For this reason, the statute included a provision to educate young people that saving sex for marriage could, among other benefits, help reduce out-of-wedlock births and thus reduce poverty in the long run. 

During the past decade these abstinence programs have gained broad acceptance among students, teachers, and parents alike.  While targeted to middle school and high school-aged teens, the statute allows these programs to reach college students and young adults as well.  For those already skeptical that teens will embrace messages on the benefits of abstinence, the idea of reaching young adults seems especially far-fetched – so perhaps a few facts are in order.

It’s a little known fact that during the past decade, long-term negative trends in sexual activity among teens have done an about face.  According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), teenage rates of sexual activity, pregnancies, births, and abortions have all been in steady decline for more than 15 years.  Among one of the more challenging demographics, teen boys ages 15-17, the percentage of those having “had sexual intercourse” has fallen from 50% in 1988 to 31% in 2002.  Although many factors account for these across the board declines, the expansion of abstinence education programs is at least partly responsible.

As for the original intention of welfare reform’s abstinence provision – to reduce out-of-wedlock births -- the only area where progress has been made is among high-school-aged teens.  In fact, school-aged teens under 18 represent less than 1 in 10 out-of-wedlock births (8.5%) and the numbers keep dropping.  Alternatively, young adults ages 18 and above represent 91.5% of out-of-wedlock births and these numbers keep climbing.  Moreover, the highest rates of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease, chlamydia, occur among ages 20-24 and rates of HIV/AIDS are highest among ages 35-44.

According to the NCHS the U.S. has just reached an all time high for out-of-wedlock births even as teen birth rates decline.  Today, 35.7% of all children (more than 1 in 3) are born out of wedlock up from just 5% in 1960.  Research clearly indicates that these children will have a much more difficult adjustment in society and will not have the same socio-economical benefits as their peers living in married households.

No, abstinence isn’t for everyone and these programs don’t pretend that it is.  But research indicates that abstinence before marriage provides significant health benefits not just for teens but for young adults as well.  Much more could be said about the emotional and psychological advantages of saving sex for marriage, but suffice it to say here that with 9 of 10 out-of-wedlock births occurring after high school, young adults would do well to learn more about the benefits of abstinence in their pursuit of a healthy and successful future. Clearly, teens aren’t our only concern.

Scott Phelps is Executive Director of the Abstinence & Marriage Education Partnership located near Chicago.