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Back to listETR Associates Critiques ACF Review of CSE Curricula
Scotts Valley, CA – November 1, 2007 – ETR Associates, a national health promotion and research organization, issued its official response to a report by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services – that attempts to assess the attention given to abstinence in popular comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) curricula. The report, Review of Comprehensive Sex Education Curricula, was released in June 2007.
ETR demonstrates how the report’s primary methodology, counting key words, fails to consider the context in which key words appear, as well as the decision by curriculum developers to use words other than “abstinence,” but which hold the same meaning. As a result, the report’s conclusions are misleading – greatly exaggerating the emphasis some programs place on condoms and other methods of contraception, and minimizing their emphasis on abstinence.
Dr. Karin Coyle, Senior Research Scientist at ETR and co-developer of the program, Safer Choices – one of the publications criticized in the ACF report – states that “any objective review of Safer Choices will demonstrate that the lessons build and reinforce the attitude that abstinence is the best and safest choice for students.” Safer Choices teaches skills that can help students choose abstinence and resist pressure to have sex from peers and the media. For those teens who still choose to have sex, these skills will help them negotiate condom use to lower the risk of pregnancy, HIV and other STDs.
Using a word count methodology, the ACF report states that “this curriculum emphasizes contraception, with 383 mentions of condoms in Safer Choices [Level] 1…There are only five mentions of the word ‘abstinence.’” The report fails to state that the curriculum uses 132 references to abstinence through variations on such phrases as “choosing not to have sex” and “without having sex.”
“In fact” states Mary Nelson, recently retired Publisher and Co-CEO of ETR, “Safer Choices Level 1 strongly emphasizes abstinence. It consists of ten lessons, four of which focus entirely on abstinence.” Only two lessons focus on condoms and contraception. The remaining four lessons focus on the risks and consequences of sex (e.g., unwanted pregnancy and STD/HIV), communication with parents, and other topics that support abstinence as the safest choice. The use of condoms and contraception are presented as less safe choices, while the message that “choosing not to have sex is the SAFEST choice” is reinforced throughout the curriculum.
“During the development of Safer Choices, focus groups with teens revealed that these youth did not like the word ‘abstinence’ and found it confusing in several ways” notes Dr. Douglas Kirby, ETR Senior Research Scientist and co-developer of the program. He adds that “Safer Choices uses clearer words preferred by students, such as ‘choosing not to have sex’ and ‘saying “No” to sex.’”
The ACF report also understates the impact that many of these curricula have on sexual behavior. Of the eight curricula that have been evaluated to date, four delayed the initiation of sex, two reduced the frequency of sex (including returning to abstinence), and two reduced the number of sexual partners. These effects were seen either among all youth, or among males, females, or Hispanic youth. Considering the challenges of changing adolescent sexual behavior with very modest programs, these outcomes represent a considerable success, especially given that many of these curricula also increased condom or contraceptive use.
“As an organization dedicated to rigorous scientific evaluation of health-based programs, ETR Associates welcomes serious scientific review of our work” states Dr. Marsha Weil, CEO of ETR. Yet due to its methodological flaws, the ACF report is misleading and does a great disservice to the field and to this country’s youth.
To download a copy of ETR’s rebuttal of the ACF report, click here.
Contact: Dr. Douglas Kirby by email, dougk@etr.org or by telephone, (831) 438-4060
ETR Associates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization known for exemplary publications development and dissemination, exemplary knowledge transfer and clearinghouse services, pioneering approaches to training, and high quality research and evaluation. ETR addresses the needs of individuals, families and communities from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. Our research, products and programs reflect this diversity and promote understanding and respect for the strength that diversity brings to our society.
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