Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S

The United States ranks first among developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In an effort to reduce these rates, the U.S. government has funded abstinence-only sex education programs for more than a decade. However, a public controversy remains over whether this investment has been successful and whether these programs should be continued. Using the most recent national data (2005) from all U.S. states with information on sex education laws or policies (N = 48), we show that increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates. This trend remains significant after accounting for socioeconomic status, teen educational attainment, ethnic composition of the teen population, and availability of Medicaid waivers for family planning services in each state. These data show clearly that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. In alignment with the new evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative and the Precaution Adoption Process Model advocated by the National Institutes of Health, we propose the integration of comprehensive sex and STD education into the biology curriculum in middle and high school science classes and a parallel social studies curriculum that addresses risk-aversion behaviors and planning for the future

A Mixed Exam Format Closes the Gap for Students with a Conflict between Their Religious Belief & the Theory of Evolution

We assessed the performance of students with a self-reported conflict between their religious belief and the theory of evolution in two sections of a large introductory biology course (N = 373 students). Student performance was measured through pretest and posttest evolution essays and multiple-choice (MC) questions (evolution-related and non-evolution-related questions) on the final exam and posttest. The two class sections differed only in exam format: MC with or without constructed-response (CR) questions. Although students with a reported conflict scored significantly lower on the final exam in the MC-only section, they scored equally well in the MC+CR section, and all students in the MC+CR section performed significantly better overall. As a result, (1) a religious conflict with evolution can be negatively associated with student achievement in introductory biology, but (2) assessment with constructed response was associated with a closed performance gap between students with and without a conflict. We suggest that differences in exam format and focus on student acceptance of evolution (either evidence-based or opinion), rather than reported conflict, may contribute to the inconsistencies in student learning of evolution across research studies, and that CR questions may help students overcome other obstacles to learning evolution

Socioeconomics and ethnic diversity as potential influences on teen pregnancy, abortion and birth rates in 48 states.

<p>Significant correlations are marked in bold type (* significant at p<0.05, ** significant at p<0.01).</p>1<p>The % teen population variables are measures of the ethnic diversity of the states. Please note the teen pregnancy, abortion and birth data (per 1000) reflect the behavior of all teens in each state: they are not limited to the behavior within that particular ethnic teen population (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658#pone-0024658-t005" target="_blank">Table 5</a>).</p

Teen pregnancy rates, abstinence education levels and Medicaid waivers to access family planning services.

<p>Access to waivers does not explain the difference in teen pregnancy rates (shown are means and ±2 SE) in states with a different emphasis on abstinence.</p

Molecular variation across populations of a widespread North American firefly, Photinus pyralis, reveals that coding changes do not underlie flash color variation or associated visual sensitivity

Abstract Background Genes underlying signal production and reception are expected to evolve to maximize signal detection in specific environments. Fireflies vary in their light signal color both within and between species, and thus provide an excellent system in which to study signal production and reception in the context of signaling environments. Differences in signal color have been hypothesized to be due to variation in the sequence of luciferase, the enzyme that catalyzes the light reaction. Similarly, differences in visual sensitivity, which are expected to match signal color, have been hypothesized to be due to variation in the sequence of opsins, the protein component of visual pigments. Here we investigated (1) whether sequence variation in luciferase correlates with variation in signal color and (2) whether sequence variation in opsins correlates with inferred matching visual sensitivity across populations of a widespread North American firefly species, Photinus pyralis. We further tested (3) whether selection has acted on these loci by examining their population-level differentiation relative to the distribution of differentiation derived from a genome-wide sample of loci generated by double-digest RADseq. Results We found virtually no coding variation in luciferase or opsins. However, there was extreme divergence in non-coding variation in luciferase across populations relative to a panel of random genomic loci. Conclusions The absence of protein variation at both loci challenges the paradigm that variation in signal color and visual sensitivity in fireflies is exclusively due to coding variation in luciferase and opsin genes. Instead, flash color variation within species must involve other mechanisms, such as abdominal pigmentation or regulation of light organ physiology. Evidence for selection at non-coding variation in luciferase suggests that selection is targeting luciferase regulation and may favor differ expression levels across populations

Trends in teen pregnancy and birth rates after accounting for socioeconomics, education and ethnic diversity.

<p>(A) The adjusted median household income significantly influenced teen pregnancy and birth rates, but the level of abstinence education still had a significant influence on teen pregnancy and birth rates after accounting for socioeconomic status. (B) Education had a significant influence on teen birth, but not on teen pregnancy rates. After accounting for the influence of teen education, the level of abstinence education still had a significant influence on both teen pregnancy and teen birth rates. (C) The proportion of white teens (but not black teens) in the population had a significant influence on teen pregnancy and teen birth rates. After accounting for this influence, the level of abstinence education still had a significant influence on teen pregnancy and birth rates.</p

Teen pregnancy, abortion and birth rates (per 1000 girls aged 14–19) by level of abstinence education.

<p>Based on 2005 data for all states except North Dakota and Wyoming, N = number of states.</p

Abstinence education level prescribed in 2005 state laws or policies.

<p>All 48 states with state laws or policies on sex and/or HIV education are shown (North Dakota and Wyoming are not represented).</p

Abstinence provisions and levels of abstinence education in state laws & policies.

1<p>State laws with (yes) or without (no) an abstinence provision as of 2007 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658#pone.0024658-Zinth1" target="_blank">[16]</a>.</p>2<p>Level of Abstinence provision in state law as of 2007 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658#pone.0024658-Callahan1" target="_blank">[17]</a>.</p>3<p>Level of Abstinence provision in state law or other policy as of 2005 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658#pone.0024658-SIECUS2" target="_blank">[19]</a>; differences to laws² are noted in <i>italics</i>.</p