Finding What Works

The Report to Delay Teenage Sexual Activity

By Kelly Burgess

There are very few creatures as puzzling as teenagers. They want to be considered grownups, but in many ways they're still children, dependent upon their parents for guidance, love and shelter. This is why the issue of preventing teen pregnancy is such an important one to parents, educators and everyone who cares about this not-quite-mature age group.

One new report, Not Yet: Programs to Delay First Sex Among Teens, is part of an ongoing attempt to definitively identify programs and strategies to delay teens having sex, which, ideally, would also prevent teen pregnancies.

Sponsored by Child Trends and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the study was conducted to investigate various sex education approaches – ranging from those with an abstinence-only message to those who also incorporate skills to avoid sexually transmitted diseases – and to measure their effectiveness. There was some good news in the findings, but there were also surprises, frustrations and many questions yet to be answered.

Dr. Renee Jenkins is professor and chair in the department of pediatrics and child health at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She has a lot of real-world knowledge of this important subject because she treats pregnant adolescents. Dr. Jenkins and her colleague, Karen Anderson, Ph.D. – a psychologist who specializes in creating school-based projects with adolescents, including gay and lesbian youth – were co-researchers for one of the most successful models evaluated in the report.

Want to see more?

• Just Say No – to Sex: Is Abstinence a Realistic Goal?
• In Search of Sex Ed: Reliable Online Information for Your Teen
• Straight Talk: Giving Your Child the Facts About Sex
• Talk about it!