Abstinence-Only Program in New Study Has Notable Differences From Those Supported by Bush Administration, Editorial Says

February 9, 2010 - A recent study showed that an experimental abstinence program for sixth and seventh grade students could delay sexual activity among urban youth "if it is freed from the moralistic overtones and ideological restrictions that were the hallmark of abstinence-only programs under the Bush administration," a New York Times editorial states. "It would be a mistake to place too much importance on a single study of black middle-school students in Philadelphia, but the study appears to be sound and its findings are worth further exploration," according to the editorial.

It continues, "Advocates of abstinence-only education have seized on the new findings as evidence that their approach works best," with some "urging the Obama administration to reverse course and restore federal support for abstinence-only education," the editorial says. It adds, "That is a willful misreading of the implications of this study." It notes that under current laws, "abstinence-only programs that seek federal support must meet several rigid requirements that essentially make them abstinence-until-marriage programs." The program in the study would not qualify under these standards because it "did not advocate abstinence until marriage but urged students to wait until they were more mature" and also "encouraged abstinence as a way to eliminate the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, had youngsters draw up lists of the pros and cons of sexual activity, and taught strategies for resisting pressure to have intercourse," the editorial states.

The Obama administration "has wisely eliminated funding for abstinence-only programs that meet the old ideological criteria and is supporting a range of programs to prevent teenage pregnancy, provided they are based on rigorous science," according to the editorial. The editorial continues that the new study needs to be replicated in older teens and other ethnic groups, with a longer follow-up period to determine the impact on avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. "No single study will suffice to reduce sexual activity in all teenagers, but the new study suggests that there is a sensible, effective way to teach abstinence," the editorial concludes (New York Times, 2/8).