Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - August 3, 2007
University of Oxford researchers reviewed 13 trials involving more than 15,000 U.S. youths to assess the effects of abstinence-only programs by measuring self-reported biological and behavioral outcomes such as sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy, frequency of unprotected sex, number of partners and sexual initiation.
Compared with various controls, no abstinence-only program had a beneficial effect on incidence of unprotected vaginal sex, number of partners, condom use, sexual initiation, incidence of pregnancy or incidence of sexually transmitted infection, finds a review published in the British Medical Journal.
The results also suggest that abstinence-only programs did not increase primary abstinence or secondary abstinence -- decreased incidence and frequency of recent sex, the researchers say.
Currently, 33 percent of HIV prevention funds from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief are used for abstinence-only programs.
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