| Comprehensive Sexuality Education |
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage |
| Teaches that sexuality is a natural,
normal, healthy part of life. |
Teaches that sexual activity outside of marriage
will have harmful social, psychological, and physical
consequences. |
| Teaches that abstinence from sexual intercourse
is the most effective method of preventing unintended
pregnancy and STDs, including HIV. |
Teaches that abstinence from sexual intercourse
before marriage is the only acceptable behavior. |
| Provides values-based education and offers
students the opportunity to explore and define
their individual values as well as the values of
their families and communities. |
Teaches one set of values as morally correct for
all students. |
| Includes a wide variety of sexuality-related topics,
such as human development, relationships, interpersonal
skills, sexual expression, sexual health,
and society and culture. |
Limits topics to abstinence before marriage and
the negative consequences of pre-marital sexual
activity. |
| Includes accurate, factual information on abortion,
masturbation, and sexual orientation. |
Either omits or contains biased information
about topics such as abortion, masturbation, and
sexual orientation. |
| Provides positive messages about sexuality,
including the benefits of abstinence. |
Often relies on fear and shame to control young
people’s sexual behavior. |
| Teaches that the proper use of latex condoms,
along with water-based lubricants, can greatly
reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of unintended
pregnancy and infection with sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including HIV. |
Discusses condoms only in terms of failure rates;
often exaggerates condom failure rates. |
| Teaches that consistent use of contraception can
greatly reduce a couple’s risk for unintended
pregnancy. |
Discusses contraception only in terms of failure
rates; often exaggerates contraceptive failure
rates. |
| Includes accurate medical information about
STDs, including HIV; teaches that individuals can
avoid STDs. |
Often includes inaccurate medical information
and exaggerated statistics regarding STDs, including
HIV; suggests that STDs are an inevitable
result of pre-marital sexual behavior. |
| Teaches that religious values can play an important
role in an individual’s decisions about sexual behavior;
offers students the opportunity to explore their
own and their family’s religious values. |
Often promotes specific religious beliefs. |
| Teaches that a woman faced with an unintended
pregnancy has options: carrying the pregnancy to
term and raising the baby, carrying the pregnancy
to term and placing the baby for adoption, or
ending the pregnancy with an abortion. |
Teaches that adoption is the only morally correct
and mature decision for a woman faced with an
unintended pregnancy. |
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