Abstinence-only sex education programs are not effective in preventing or delaying teenagers from having sexual intercourse, according to a report released on Friday by Mathematica Policy Research, the Washington Post reports (Sessions Stepp, Washington Post, 4/14). The report, which was commissioned by Congress, followed 2,057 U.S. teenagers in late elementary and middle school who participated in four abstinence programs, as well as students in the same grades who did not participate in such programs. The study was conducted in Clarksdale, Miss.; Miami; Milwaukee; and Powhatan, Va. The average age of the students who participated in abstinence education was 11 to 12 when they entered the programs in 1999, and they participated in the programs for one to three years, the AP/Boston Globe reports. The students were an average age of 16.5 when Mathematica conducted a follow-up study in 2005 and early 2006. About half of the students who received abstinence education and about half of those who did not reported that they abstained from sex, according to the study (Freking, AP/Boston Globe, 4/16). Teenagers who were sexually active reported having had sex for the first time when they were about 15 years old, the findings showed. More than one-third of both groups had two or more sexual partners, the study found (Washington Post, 4/14). Twenty-three percent of both groups reported having had sex and always using a condom; 17% of both groups reported having had sex and only sometimes using a condom; and 4% of the students in both groups reported having had sex and never using a condom, according to the report (Fox, Reuters, 4/14).

Implications for Federal Policy
The report's release comes "as questions are being raised in several quarters about abstinence programs," the Post reports (Washington Post, 4/14). Some members of Congress have introduced legislation that would promote comprehensive sex education instead of abstinence-based programs. Funding for abstinence programs increased from $10 million in 1997 to $176 million this year. Abstinence-based education is funded through three different programs. One of the programs, called Title V, is scheduled to expire this year, and its reauthorization could set the stage for a potential showdown over the program's future direction and funding. Title V, administered by HHS' Administration for Children and Families, distributes funds based on a formula favoring states with more low-income children. To receive Title V funds, states must adhere to certain requirements, including barring teachers from discussing contraception and requiring them to say that sex within marriage is "the expected standard of sexual activity." Many state governors have said the grants place too many restrictions on the curricula to be practical. California, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have rejected Title V funds. President Bush has asked Congress to appropriate $191 million for the program for fiscal year 2008, an increase of $28 million from FY 2007 funding levels (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/12).

Reaction
The abstinence education programs "had no impact on the age of first sex," Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement following the release of the report, adding that the programs also "had no impact on the number of partners, ... reported rates of pregnancy" or sexually transmitted infections. He added, "In short, American taxpayers appear to have paid over one billion federal dollars for programs that have no impact" (Jayson, USA Today, 4/16). Harry Wilson of HHS said, "This study isn't rigorous enough to show whether or not (abstinence-only) education works," adding that the administration does not intend to change funding priorities based on the results (Washington Post, 4/14). Wilson also said that the report is "not a referendum on comprehensive sex education in comparison to abstinence, but it does suggest that we have some things to learn from the study" (USA Today, 4/16). Sarah Brown, executive director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, said, "There's not a lot of good news here for people who pin their hopes on abstinence-only education," adding, "This is the first study with a solid, experimental design, the first with adequate numbers and long-term follow-up, the first to measure behavior and not just intent. On every measure, the effectiveness of the programs was flat" (Washington Post, 4/14).

The report is available online.

NPR's "All Things Considered" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Chris Trenholm, a researcher at Mathematica; Kimberly Martinez, executive director of the Abstinence Clearinghouse; William Smith, vice president for public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States; and Wilson (Abramson, "All Things Considered," NPR, 4/13). Audio of the segment is available online.