The Effects of Comprehensive Sexual Education on Abortion Attitudes

Abstract

The weakening of abortion care protection policies in the United States has sparked demand for appropriate education on the reproductive care process. My research examines the effect of sexual education type (comprehensive and abstinence-only) on abortion attitudes. I hypothesized that those with a history of comprehensive sexual education would be more accepting of an abortion decision, despite variations in the situation, than those with a history of an abstinence-only education. The results indicated no significant effect on the type or presence of sexual education in middle school, high school, or college, on abortion attitudes. However, abortion attitudes based on situation exist, making the debate less dichotomized. In addition, female and Democrat participants expressed significantly more support towards abortion decisions than male and Republican participants.