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Sexuality education in an abstinence-only era: A comparative case study of two U.S. states

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Abstract

This article examines the effects of U.S. federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) education on the educational policies and practices of pupils, teachers, districts, and private organizations in 2 states: Florida and Wyoming. It briefly reviews the political environment within which AOUM funding has expanded and employs a social justice framework to examine the intended and unintended effects—physical, social, economic, and gendered—of AOUM funding on schools and students in the study sites. The article concludes with an examination of the school- and district-level possibilities and exigencies for transforming current sexuality education paradigms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1000 Bascom Mall, Room 205, 53706, Madison, WI

    Nancy Kendall

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  1. Nancy Kendall
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Correspondence to Nancy Kendall.

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Kendall, N. Sexuality education in an abstinence-only era: A comparative case study of two U.S. states. Sex Res Soc Policy 5, 23–44 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1525/srsp.2008.5.2.23

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