Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113116

William Smith, Public Policy Office, SIECUS, 1706 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202 265-2405, willismith_2000@yahoo.com

The current US Administration has made the promotion of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs a hallmark of its efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. The promotion of these programs is also a major part of the US government's international HIV/AIDS initiative dealing with prevention. Over a billion dollars have been spent on these programs domestically with perhaps an additional billion available internationally over the next five years. Yet, very little sound research exists on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and whether or not they have positive outcomes for public health. This presentation will provide an overview of what is known about the efficacy of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs from published research and the many state-based evaluations that have been conducted around the country. The presentation of data will cover changes in sexual behavior, use and non-use of contraception, and the limited data available on actual rates of STD's among those participants in abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Additionally, the presentation will describe the legislative language and policies that guide the use of federal funds that are specifically designated for the “exclusive purpose” of teaching abstinence-only-until-marriage.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will

• Be able to describe the basic peer reviewed research data and state-by-state evaluations related to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
• Will be able to identify the 10 basic characteristics of effective sexuality education programs.
• Will be able to articulate the key U.S. funding mechanisms for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

Keywords: Sexual Behavior, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation