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SALT LAKE CITY -- A new national study about abstinence may figure into the sex education debate on Utah's Capitol Hill.
The federally-funded study shows only one-third of sixth and seventh grade students who took abstinence-based classes were sexually active within two years. Comparatively, half of students who had courses that included information about contraception were sexually active.
On Utah's Capitol Hill, Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, tells the Deseret News his proposal doesn't remove abstinence from Utah's curriculum. He says SB54 encourages a focus on abstinence, gives parents more tools regarding what their kids are learning, and provides more medically accurate information to students.
Currently the state requires parental consent to teach contraception methods.
Critics say teachers are afraid of being accused of advocating sex and end up cutting out crucial information.
The national study is published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. Some say the study may not be accurate because it is based on students' self reporting. Also, the study examined a very specific population -- African American middle school children.
