Abstinence only works with the right question

The new "abstinence only" sex education report is supposed to be surprising. Leaving aside the small sample size, only about 600 divided into four groups, there is the oddity about condom use. Teaching about the advantages of condom use and disadvantages of unprotected sex should have had an impact. According to the report, it didn't. That fact raises a red flag.

However, a larger question is the methodology. How do we know they're not having sex? They say they aren't. Since no data is given on the results from students not involved in the study, the presumption is that only students in the study were asked, so they presumably knew they were being asked by the same people who had been instructing them.

So picture the situation. Child A has been getting instruction in safe sex. He is asked whether he's been having sex. He says yes. Child B has been getting instruction to the effect that sex is intrinstically unsafe. He is asked whether he has disregarded the instruction. He says no. Is this scientific?

Fewer than 100 girls took part in each group. I will be more impressed if, at the end of the ninth grade, it were to be calculated how many in each group got pregnant. Having sex is not a public health issue. Getting pregnant or spreading STDs is, and since the practice that brings them about is the same, the quickest test for that is objectively observing pregnancy rates. The jury is still out.