Abstinence education (known as abstinence-centered education) is overwhelmingly more comprehensive and holistic than other approaches and focuses on the real-life struggles that teens face as they navigate through the difficult adolescent years.

Abstinence-centered education realizes that “having sex” can potentially affect teens not only physically (STDs and pregnancy) but also, as research shows, can have emotional, psychological, social, economic, and educational consequences. That’s why topics frequently discussed in an abstinence education class include how to identify a healthy relationship, how to avoid or get out of a dangerous, unhealthy, or abusive relationship, developing skills to make good decisions, setting goals for the future and taking realistic steps to reach them, understanding and avoiding STDs, information about contraceptives and their effectiveness against pregnancy and STDs, practical ways to avoid inappropriate sexual advances, and why abstinence until marriage is optimal. So, within an abstinence education program, teens receive all the information they need in order to make healthy choices. The programs typically include lessons about the media’s influence as well as the interconnection of other risks behaviors - drugs , alcohol, tobacco and youth violence. That’s a lot of information and skills packed into an abstinence curriculum. And all of these topics are taught within the context of why abstinence is the best choice.