Sexual literacy

On the heels of a divisive debate about sex education in Ontario schools, new research suggests the more information young people receive, the better.

Sexual literacy (the result of sex education in schools) and access to contraceptives are cited as two key reasons Canada's teen pregnancy rate fell dramatically between 1996 and 2006, according to a study by the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty backed away from plans to introduce an expanded sex ed curriculum this fall, after a public outcry fueled by religious groups. Yet the research from the Sex Information and Education Council does seem to imply that arming young Canadians with information about sex has positive impact. Between 1996 and 2006, teen pregnancy rates in Canada dropped by 37 per cent -- more steeply than in the United States, Sweden or the United Kingdom.

The significant decrease in teen pregnancies in Canada over a decade is encouraging news. Indeed, surveys show that condoms are being widely used by sexually active teens, as are other contraceptives. True, parents might not be thrilled to know that teens are sexually active, but it's no small consolation to know that these same teens are being responsible about it.

Moreover, it's not as if all teens are having sex. The study on pregnancy rates seems to answer concerns -- some of which were raised in the recent Ontario debate -- that sex education contributes to the premature sexualization of children. Sex education in one form or another is routine in schools today, yet Canadian teenagers, according to the study, are slightly less likely than their counterparts were 14 years ago to engage in sexual activity.

And, again, the good news is that of those who are active, many seem willing to take precautions which not only prevent unintended pregnancies but also protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Alex McKay, lead researcher on the study, notes that, in the United States, the federal government has, for decades, offered states millions of dollars of funding for abstinence-only sex education in schools, the result being that teen pregnancy rates are almost double those in Canada. A number of studies have linked abstinence-only sex education with higher teen pregnancy rates. Conversely, California saw its teen pregnancy rates fall only after it stopped providing abstinence-only education. Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, a teenaged mother, became the poster child for the limitations of abstinence programs instead of proper sex ed. She herself told an interviewer that abstinence for all teens in not realistic.

McKay says countries with a "more relaxed and accepting" attitude toward teenaged sexuality tend to have lower teen pregnancy rates. Countries with more restrictive attitudes toward teen sex tend to have higher teen pregnancy rates.

There are many socio-economic factors that affect the rates of unwanted pregnancies. Reducing teen pregnancies is complicated, but it does appear that talking about sex in an informed, positive way -- at home and at school -- pays off.