Even if a young individual has chosen to abstain from sex until married, he or she may at some point find themselves in a position in which they change their mind. In a case like this one, an individual who has only received education on abstinence will be unaware of how to handle such an unfamiliar situation (Haffner).
Abstinence-based programs don't provide information about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention methods, like condoms, because of the fear that teens will see this as permission and encouragement to have sex. If condoms and other safer-sex choices get any attention in these programs, it's only to point out that they sometimes fail. On the contrary, it is undeniable that some teens will choose to have sexual intercourse, and this group of people should be not only educated, but also have resources available to them that will help them protect themselves from infection and pregnancy. For instance, an ongoing controversy is that of condom distribution in schools. Although many people insist that providing condoms to students encourages sexual activity, a number of studies have established that providing condoms in schools increases condom use among students who are already sexually active while it has no effect on the numbers of students engaging in sexual intercourse (Schuster 1998). .
Comprehensive sexuality education is the other approach to sexuality education in schools. Comprehensive sexuality education programs teach students that abstinence offers the most protection against pregnancy and infection instead of presenting abstinence as the only choice. Comprehensive sexuality education is, on the other hand, an effective strategy for giving young people the skills to delay their involvement in sexual behaviors.
In a study done in Canada, 94% of parents agreed that sex education should be provided in school and 95% felt that it should be a topic taught at both school and home.
