March 19, 2008 Sex education may reduce teen pregnancy Play video

(NECN/ABC) - New research suggests that giving adolescents information about birth control may dramatically reduce the risk of teen pregnancy.

Comprehensive sex education, complete with information about birth control, appears to substantially cut the risk of teen pregnancy.

Researchers from the University of Washington examined results from a national survey of more than 1700 adolescents.

Two-thirds of the teenagers reported receiving complete sex education, a quarter said they had received "abstinence only" classes, and 9 percent had no sex education at all.

Results showed that those with the most comprehensive sex ed classes were 60% less likely to get pregnant or impregnate someone than those who received no sexual education.

There was a modest trend toward reduced risk of pregnancy among kids who had abstinence only classes, but there were too few teenagers in these groups to allow for a meaningful comparison.

Another trend suggested teens who attended comprehensive classes were less likely to have sex - a finding researchers did not see for those who had abstinence only education.

Experts say these results show that kids who have the most information about sex tend to make the best choices.

ABC's Dr. Timothy Johnson has more in this Medical Minute.