Report Finds No Evidence that Abstinence-Only Counseling

Report Finds No Evidence that Abstinence-Only Counseling
Prevents Teen Sex, Pregnancy, Disease

Panel Votes on Sexual Abstinence
Thursday, April 25, 2002

Associated Press (04.25.02)

A House of Representatives committee has voted to renew a sexual abstinence program after turning back a Democratic attempt to let states decide whether to include discussion of birth control methods. The debate contrasted to five years ago, when Congress included the program in welfare legislation with virtually no public discussion. Majority Republicans defended the abstinence-only program, and the House Commerce Committee voted 35-17 to extend it for five years. Nothing requires states to take the restricted dollars, said committee chair Billy Tauzin, (R-La.).

Democrats spoke in favor of abstinence-plus programs, which already are used in many schools across the country. Such
programs emphasize that abstaining from sex is a person's best choice and the only sure way to prevent pregnancy and disease, but they urge those who have sex anyway to use condoms or other protections. The federal law bars discussion of the benefits of birth control and instructs programs to teach that any sex outside marriage has harmful consequences. "A gag rule on information is no way to solve a serious health problem," said Rep. Henry Waxman, a Democrat from California, the only state that has opted out of the program.

In the last five years, abstinence-only programs have proliferated, drawing on $50 million in annual federal dollars and nearly that much in state money. Congress also has created an additional abstinence-only program that offers direct federal
grants. This program was created after critics complained that states were failing to truly encourage abstinence by using the
money for generic after-school programs and media campaigns. An analysis of the larger, state-run program has yet to
publish results indicating whether these programs are successful in preventing teen sex, pregnancy or disease. An interim report, released Tuesday by the Bush administration, confirmed there is still no evidence that abstinence-only programs work.

Report Finds No Evidence that Abstinence-Only Counseling
Prevents Teen Sex, Pregnancy, Disease
Associated Press (04.24.02)::Laura Meckler

There is still no evidence that abstinence-only programs prevent teen sex, pregnancy or disease, the government reported, as Congress debates whether to renew an abstinence-only initiative. These programs have multiplied in the five years since Congress directed almost half a billion dollars to the effort, but an evaluation aimed at determining whether they work will have no definitive results for years, said an interim report released Tuesday.

The report found the programs offer teens a variety of activities, although they have trouble getting parents and local
schools involved. It also found that, despite claims by advocates, no reliable evidence exists on whether the programs
work. "Most studies of abstinence education programs have methodological flaws that prevent them from generating reliable estimates of program impacts," the report said.

The abstinence-only initiative, created in the 1996 welfare overhaul, has caused heated debate because it bars any discussion of condoms or birth control other than to explain their limitations. Congress is deliberating whether to renew the program for five more years, as President Bush wants, or to allow the money to be spent on a broader range of activities. Several Democrats said at a House hearing yesterday they were disturbed by the program, but most Republicans defended it. Following the subcommittee's debate, the full House Commerce Committee is scheduled to vote today on renewing the program.

The interim report, written by independent researchers [Mathematica Policy Research, under contract to the Department of Health and Human Services] also found:

*In 1999, about half of high school students, and nearly two-thirds of graduating seniors, reported having had sex. This represents a small decline from previous years, but there is a lack of evidence that abstinence-only programs are responsible.

*Programs incorporated many messages other than abstinence, such as building self-esteem, aspiring to healthy marriages, decision-making skills, withstanding peer pressure, and developing goals.

*Many programs try to bridge the gap in parent-child communications by engaging parents in programs or getting teens
to feel more comfortable talking to their parent about sex, but there has been little success.

*"Despite widespread parent enthusiasm for programs, getting more than a small fraction actively involved has proven to be a major challenge for virtually all programs," the report said.

*Establishing partnerships with schools is difficult, both because of competing priorities and debate over sex education
policies.

- source: CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update