Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York; Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, New York.
J Adolesc Health. 2017 Sep;61(3):273-280. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.05.031.
Adolescence is marked by the emergence of human sexuality, sexual identity, and the initiation of intimate relations; within this context, abstinence from sexual intercourse can be a healthy choice. However, programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) or sexual risk avoidance are scientifically and ethically problematic and-as such-have been widely rejected by medical and public health professionals. Although abstinence is theoretically effective, in actual practice, intentions to abstain from sexual activity often fail. Given a rising age at first marriage around the world, a rapidly declining percentage of young people remain abstinent until marriage. Promotion of AOUM policies by the U.S. government has undermined sexuality education in the United States and in U.S. foreign aid programs; funding for AOUM continues in the United States. The weight of scientific evidence finds that AOUM programs are not effective in delaying initiation of sexual intercourse or changing other sexual risk behaviors. AOUM programs, as defined by U.S. federal funding requirements, inherently withhold information about human sexuality and may provide medically inaccurate and stigmatizing information. Thus, AOUM programs threaten fundamental human rights to health, information, and life. Young people need access to accurate and comprehensive sexual health information to protect their health and lives.
青春期的特点是出现人类的性行为、性身份认同和开始亲密关系；在这种情况下，禁欲可能是一种健康的选择。然而，倡导禁欲直到结婚（AOUM）或避免性风险的项目在科学和伦理上存在问题，因此被医学和公共卫生专业人员广泛拒绝。尽管禁欲在理论上是有效的，但在实际实践中，禁欲的意图往往会失败。鉴于世界各地初婚年龄的上升，越来越少的年轻人保持禁欲直到结婚。美国政府推广 AOUM 政策破坏了美国和美国对外援助计划中的性教育；美国仍在为 AOUM 提供资金。大量科学证据表明，AOUM 项目不能有效延迟性行为的开始或改变其他性风险行为。根据美国联邦资金要求定义的 AOUM 项目，本质上隐瞒了有关人类性行为的信息，并且可能提供不准确和污名化的信息。因此，AOUM 项目威胁到健康、信息和生命的基本人权。年轻人需要获得准确和全面的性健康信息，以保护他们的健康和生命。
