Teaching About Abstinence Delays Sexual Activity in Teens

Teens who were involved in a behavioral intervention focusing on abstinence were more likely to delay their first sexual encounter than teens receiving an intervention utilizing the more traditional general health promotion approach. This information was published in a report in February 2010 by the National Institute of Mental Health.

It is not news to anyone that sexually active teenagers are at increased risk for a wide range of probable negative outcomes such as HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancies. Studies have shown that sexually active behaviors can be reduced by behavior interventions, but policy makers disagree on which ones are the most appropriate and effective with teens with most states adopting the abstinence only approach for their school systems. This is scientifically problematic as this approach lacks adequate research of its efficacy.

Dr. John Jemmott, from the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues solicited over 600 students from grades 6 & 7 to participate in a study that looked at 5 different behavioral interventions related to abstinence and being sexually active. These behavioral groups were: 1) abstinence, 2) safe sex, 3) 12-hour comprehensive combining abstinence and safe sex, 4) 8-hour comprehensive which was an abbreviated 12-hour approach, and 5) health promotion. Half of the study participants were involved in two 3-hour booster sessions at six weeks and three months.

At the outset of the study 23.4% of participants indicated they were already sexually active. Two years following the interventions the group who had received the abstinence intervention and who had not been sexually active at the beginning of the study were significantly (33%) less likely to have begun to be sexually active or to have recently had sex (20%) as compared to the health promotion method. For students in the control group who had not been sexually active prior to the study, 49% reported their first sexually activity and 29% had recently been sexually active. None of the other intervention had a significant effect on the initiation of sexual activity.

The study found that the students who had the 8-12 hour comprehensive intervention were significantly less likely be sexually active with multiple partners - 9% versus 14% in the control group. There was a modest effect found when you looked at the maintenance intervention (booster sessions). It was also found that none of the behavioral interventions had a significant affect on consistent use of condoms.
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The summation of the study is that a theory-based, abstinence only intervention could be an effective approach to help delay sexual activity in middle school students who are not already sexually active. The abstinence based intervention did not model the federal abstinence-only model which emphasizes morality