The sex education program Our Whole Lives, a joint effort of the Unitarian-Universalist Church and the United Church of Christ, not only stresses the value of abstinence but also includes extensive discussions of birth control, safe sex and sexual orientation. To date, each denomination has trained more than 1,000 teachers in the program.

Supporters of the program say misinformation is so prevalent among youths that a pre-emptive approach is necessary. Parent Steven Falk, who teaches in the program, said: "No question that there was wrong information that needed to be corrected. I asked them what the chance was they could receive [an STD] and they were way off."

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health policy group, people ages 15-25 comprise a quarter of the nation's sexually active population but account for almost half of new STD cases each year. "People are going to develop sexually whether parents are ready for it or not," said Falk.

The Rev. Bonnie Dlott, a trainer and coordinator of Bay Area Our Whole Lives programs, said one of the goals is to teach open communication, so that by the time kids reach sexual maturity they can talk comfortably with their parents about intimate issues. "We believe withholding information from our youth does not keep them safe," she said.

Dlott said she seeks out teachable moments with the kids. "Let's say you're watching a TV program and you see a couple just slip into bed and have perfect sex. You can say, 'Did you see that? What do you think of that? Did they put on a condom? Was there any discussion about commitment?'"

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