The teenage boys were 71 percent less likely to have sex before 15, while girls were about 60 percent more likely to put off sex until at least age 15 if they had participated in sex education classes.
The study also brought forth that teen boys who attended school were about three times more likely to make use of contraception if the first time they had sex, while no sign of such associations were seen amongst girls.
"Sex education seems to be working," Trisha Mueller, an epidemiologist with the CDC who led the study, told the reporters. "It seems to be especially effective for populations that are usually at high risk."
Before last month, a study conducted by Douglas Kirby of the ETR Associates indicated that two thirds of 48 comprehensive sex education programs have left a favorable impact on teenagers. They put off the start of sex, lessen its frequency and the number of sexual partners.
Responses, analyzed by the researchers from 2,019 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, conclude that formal sex education is leading to safer sex.
Researchers said in the study: "Not like many earlier studies, our results suggest that sex education before first sex provides protection to youth from engaging in at an early age."
