Editing Harm reduction (section)

===Safer sex programmes===
Many schools now provide [[safer sex]] education to teen and pre-teen students, who may engage in sexual activity. Since some adolescents are going to have sex, a harm-reductionist approach supports a sexual education which emphasizes the use of protective devices like [[condoms]] and [[dental dam]]s to protect against unwanted pregnancy and the transmission of [[sexually transmitted infections|STIs]]. This runs contrary to [[sexual abstinence|abstinence]]-only sex education, which teaches that educating children about sex can encourage them to engage in it.

These programmes have been found to decrease risky sexual behaviour and prevent [[sexually transmitted infection]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=BT |last2=Scott-Sheldon, LA |last3=Huedo-Medina, TB |last4=Carey, MP |date=January 2011 |title=Interventions to reduce sexual risk for human immunodeficiency virus in adolescents: a meta-analysis of trials, 1985–2008 |journal=Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine |volume=165 |issue=1 |pages=77–84 |doi=10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.251 |pmc=4361805 |pmid=21199984}}</ref> They also reduce rates of unwanted pregnancies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Oringanje |first1=Chioma |last2=Meremikwu |first2=Martin M |last3=Eko |first3=Hokehe |last4=Esu |first4=Ekpereonne |last5=Meremikwu |first5=Anne |last6=Ehiri |first6=John E |date=3 February 2016 |title=Interventions for preventing unintended pregnancies among adolescents |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2016 |issue=2 |pages=CD005215 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3 |pmc=8730506 |pmid=26839116}}</ref> [[Abstinence-only sex education|Abstinence-only]] programmes do not appear to affect HIV risks in developed countries with no evidence available for other areas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Underhill |first1=Kristen |last2=Operario |first2=Don |last3=Montgomery |first3=Paul |date=17 October 2007 |title=Abstinence-only programs for HIV infection prevention in high-income countries |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |issue=4 |pages=CD005421 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005421.pub2 |pmid=17943855}}</ref>