Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This report presents the behavioral impact findings of four selected programs that received funding through Title V, Section 510 abstinence education grants. The report examines the impacts of these programs on adolescents' sexual abstinence, their risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and other behavioral outcomes. The report, which includes an executive summary, is divided into the following chapters: (1) introduction, (2) focal programs, (3) design and methods for the final impact evaluation, (4) impacts on sexual abstinence and teen risk behaviors, (5) knowledge and perceptions of risks associated with teen sex, (6) predictors of sexual abstinence, and (7) conclusions. Statistical information is presented in figures and tables throughout the text. The report includes five appendices: (1) supporting tables, (2) outlines of curricula, (3) survey questions, (4) estimated impacts for selected subgroups, and (5) program mediators of teen sexual activity.

• Full Report

Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Federal programs, Financing, MCH research, Program evaluation, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This report focuses on enhancing the nation's understanding of the adolescent pregnancy problem in the Latino community and what to do about it. Section topics include highlights from parents and adolescents on abstinence and contraception; regret, virginity, and older partners; gender differences, religion, social norms and beliefs; and the media. The report is also available in Spanish.

• English Version
• Spanish Version

Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Adolescents, Contraception, Hispanic Americans, Parents, Peer pressure, Religion, Spanish language materials, Surveys

Annotation: This report examines the impact of the Life Skills Education Component (a character-based program designed to enhance life skills thought to be supportive of sexual abstinence and to empower students to avoid sexual activity and other risky behaviors) on students in middle school and high school in Edgefield, South Carolina. The Life Skills Education Component is part of the Heritage Keepers abstinence education program, in which all students in the study had participated. The report presents estimates of the incremental impact of Life Skills on potential mediators of adolescent sexual activity as well as on adolescents' sexual abstinence, their risks of pregnancy and of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, and other behavioral outcomes. The report is based on data collected in 2005-2996 from more than 600 adolescents. The report, which includes an executive summary, presents the design and methods for the impact evaluation, intermediate outcomes related to adolescent sexual activity, knowledge and perceptions of risks associated with adolescent sex, impacts on sexual absinence and adolescent risk behavior, and conclusions. References are included. Statistical information is presented in figures and tables throughout the report. The report includes three appendices: (1) an outline of the Heritage Keepers curricula, (2) supporting tables for impact analysis, and (3) survey questions.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent health, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, High school students, Middle schools, Programs, Risk taking, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This document is a response to a member's information reequest. It provides a chart showing which states declined Section 510 Abstinence funds in 2007, whether they had received funding in 2006, which state applied for funding in 2007 but not in 2006, and the amounts these states were eligible to receive. It also provides links to media reports, organizational policy statements on sex education, state program evaluations, and other evaluations.

• Link

Keywords: Abstinence, Legislation, Prevention programs, Program evaluation, Sexuality education, State programs

Annotation: This interim report focuses on the National Consensus Process (NCP) on Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior, a process on sexual health in which leaders of major constituency organizations with interest in sexual health participated. The goal of the NCP is to improve sexual health and responsible sexual behaviors in America. The report includes a letter from the former U.S. Surgeon General; an executive summary; a call to action; background; and a statement of agreement covering the following topics: vision, goal, sexuality, sexual health, individual responsibility, community responsibility, outcomes, and normative differences. Also included is a discussion of NCP areas of agreement and non-agreement and supporting documents; areas for further discussion; participant observations; commentary; and NCP's future. The report includes eight appendices: (1) best practices; (2) research recommendations; (3) HIV, AIDS, STDs, and STIs; (4) education and discussion of sexual health and responsible sexual behavior for youth by parents or caregivers; (5) sexual abstinence; (6) responsible and irresponsible social behavior; (7) sexual orientation; (8) NCP ground rules and meeting dates and locations.

• Link

Keywords: AIDS, Abstinence, Adolescent sexuality, Caregivers, HIV, Individual responsibility, Parents, Sexual behavior, Sexual health, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases, Social responsibility

Annotation: This report describes the oversight of federally funded abstinence-until-marriage education programs. The report provides information on (1) efforts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and states to assess the scientific accuracy of materials used in these programs and (2) efforts by DHHS, states, and researchers to assess the effectiveness of these programs. The report also includes results in brief, background, conclusions, and recommendations for executive action. The report includes four appendices: (1) the Health Resources and Services Administration's technical assistance contract for abstinence education, (2) method for identifying and reviewing research studies, (3) comments from DHHS, and (4) Government Accountability Office contact and staff acknowledgments. Statistical information is presented in tables throughout the report.

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Keywords: Marriage, Abstinence, Federal programs, Financing, Program evaluation, Sexuality education

Annotation: This report is based on a review conducted by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States of nine of the most widely available abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula designed for junior and senior high school students that emphasize the negative consequences of premarital sexual activity, portray sexual behavior as universally dangerous, and deny young people information about pregnancy and disease prevention. The report discusses the educational philosophy of these curricula and their scope and context. Topics covered include sexuality and abstinence, religion and morality, fear and shame, sexual pressure, sexual arousal, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS, condoms and contraception, marriage and family structure, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy options and abortion, teaching methods, curricula strong point, and the future of sexuality education. Brief reviews of the curricula are provided. A list of abstinence-education curricula that do not include messages of fear or shame is included. The report includes references.

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Keywords: AIDS, Abortion, Abstinence, Adolescent sexuality, Condoms, Contraception, Curricula, Families, HIV, Marriage, Moral values, Pregnancy, Prevention, Religion, Sexual identity, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This paper critiques a review article titled Abstinence and Abstinence-Only Education and a second article titled Abstinence-Only Education Policies and Programs: A Position Paper of the Society of Adolescent Medicine. Both were published by the Journal of Adolescent Health. The paper, which includes an executive summary, discusses the articles' methodologies, the way they define abstinence, their treatment of (1) the physical and psychological health outcomes of adolescent sexual behaviors and of public support for abstinence and comprehensive sexuality education; (2) currrent federal policy and local programs; (3) concepts of efficacy for abstinence in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; (4) abstinence-only education and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adolescents; (5) the human right to sexual health information; (and 6) ethical obligations of health professionals and health educators. References are incluced.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent health, Adolescent sexuality, Human rights, Local programs, Pregnancy, Prevention, Public policy, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, presents first-year impact findings of four selected programs that have received Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Program Funds since 1998. The four programs are My Choice, My Future in Powhatan, Virginia; ReCapturing the Vision in Miami, Florida; Teens in Control in Clarksdale, Mississippi; and Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (FUPTP) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This report examines the extent to which the programs affected the level and nature of health, family life, and sex education services youth received during the first year after enrolling in the program, and it provides estimates of the first-year impacts of the Title V, Section 510 programs on intermediate outcomes that may be related to teen sexual activity and other risk-taking behavior. These outcomes include measures of views on abstinence, adolescent sex, and marriage; peer influences and relations; self-concept, refusal skills, and communications with parents; perceived consequences of adolescent and nonmarital sex; and expectations to abstain from sexual intercourse. Statistical data are presented in tables and figures throughout the report. Information on the study design and methodology is provided in addition to a discussion section and references. Appendices include support figures and tables, outlines of curricula used by the study programs, and survey questions.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescents, Case studies, Community programs, Family life education, Federal programs, Florida, Mississippi, Prevention, Program descriptions, Program evaluations, Risk taking, Sexuality education, Statistics, Surveys, Virginia, Wisconsin

Annotation: This report examines the possible effects of youth development and abstinence education programming on adolescent birth rates and sexual risk taking. It presents results of a literature review pertaining to abstinence or delay of sexual activity with special attention to how factors that are the target of youth development approaches have been shown to affect these outcomes. It next examines year-end and evaluation reports for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) demonstration projects through December 2004, and presents the results of seven site visits that looked at the degree to which youth development activities and abstinence-oriented activities are integrated and whether the two program components might be separated for evaluation. The report concludes with recommendations for how to improve evaluation designs. The report includes references and five appendices: (1) a table describing studies that looked at youth development impacts on adolescents' sexual behavior and antecedents of first sex, (2) the protocol used to review the AFL documents, (3) A table listing enrichment activities associated with specific youth development objectives, (4) a summary of program and youth development characteristics from the document reviews, and (5) a suggested annual report outline.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Demonstration programs, Federal programs, Final reports, Program evaluation, Research, Sexuality education, Youth development

Annotation: This report presents the results of the AIM Community-Based Abstinence Education Project for Rural Alabama. The AIM Project is an abstinence education outreach program focusing on rural communities in the state. The report describes the project and discusses (1) how welfare reform and abstinence education work together against child poverty, (2) scientific evaluation of the project, (3) student satisfaction with the project, and (4) reducing welfare payrolls and poverty in rural Alabama. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Abstinence education, Alabama, Child health, Children, Communities, Evaluation, Outreach, Poverty, Rural populations, SPRANS, State projects, Students, Welfare reform, Welfare services

Annotation: This paper summarizes the debate over what types of topics should be covered in sex education classes in schools and what the overall approach to sex education should be. The paper also provides findings from a national survey about sex education that was conducted by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Statistical information is presented in tables throughout the paper. The paper concludes with a methodology section.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Schools, Sexuality education, Surveys

Annotation: This brief summarizes some of the key findings from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy's 2003 survey of adults and adolescents. The brief includes information from the survey on these topics related to adolescent pregnancy and sexuality: (1) parental influence, (2) adolescent attitudes and values, (3) abstinence and contraception; (4) "mixed messages, " (5) adolescents' desire for more information, (6) adolescents' estimates of the percentage of their peers who have had sex, (7) dating older partners, (8) adult supervision, (9) the message for boys, and (10) media influence. The brief also includes information about the Putting What Works to Work project, of which this brief is a part.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent attitudes, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Adolescents, Contraception, Dating, Families, Mass media, Parent child relations, Parents, Supervision, Surveys

Annotation: Produced in partnership with Child Trends, No Time to Waste provides detailed descriptions of programs for middle school-age students in abstinence and sex education and in HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases that have been shown through careful research to have a positive impact on adolescent sexual behavior. The publication provides detailed descriptions of program curriculum, costs, and evaluation results. It also describes programs that did not change participants' behavior. No Time to Waste was developed as part of the ongoing Putting What Works to Work project.

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Keywords: AIDS, Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Community programs, Costs, HIV, Middle schools, Model programs, Prevention, Prevention programs, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This report evaluates the content of the most popular abstinence-only curricula used by grantees of the largest federal abstinence initiative, SPRANS (Special Programs of Regional and National Significance) Community-Based Abstinence Education. Included are an executive summary, background on abstinence-only programs, the purpose and methodology of the evaluation, a review of the findings, and a conclusion. Topics include how the majority of abstinence-only curricula contain false and misleading information about (1) the effectiveness of contraceptives, (2) risks of abortion, (3) how abstinence-only curricula blur religion and science, (4) how stereotypes about girls and boys are treated as fact, (5) the risks of sexual activity, and (6) how curricula contain scientific errors.

• Link

Keywords: Abortion, Abstinence, Adolescent sexuality, Contraception, Contraceptive use, Curricula, Disease prevention, Federal grants, Federal programs, Misinformation, Pregnancy, Program evaluation, SPRANS, Sexuality education, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This fact sheet contains information about adolescent abstinence and contraceptive use. The fact sheet includes information in four categories: abstinence rates in 2003 vs. in 1991, typical age of sexual initiation in the United States and elsewhere, adolescent use of condoms, and adolescents' use of other contraceptive methods.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent sexuality, Condoms, Contraceptive use

Annotation: This report reviews findings from 11 evaluations of abstinence-only programs, which promote sexual abstinence outside of marriage as the only acceptable standard of behavior for young people. The report discusses program components and evaluation designs, provides a summary of evaluation results, and offers a discussion. Each of the 11 programs are then reviewed separately. Statistical information is presented in one table within the report. References are included.

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Keywords: Abstinence, Adolescent behavior, Adolescent sexuality, Evaluation, Federal programs, Sexuality education, State programs, Title V programs

Annotation: This final report discusses New Hampshire's Task Force on Abstinence Education, which was convened in 2003 for the purpose of examining the Abstinence Education Program of the Social Security Act in New Hampshire. The report, which includes an executive summary, also provides subgroup findings for the measurement, education programs, target audience, marketing, program location, and issues addressed by DHHS subgroups of the task force. Recommendations are included. Statistical information is presented in figures and tables throughout the report. The report includes two appendices: federal and state criteria for abstinence only programs and a text of a proposed marketing letter.

• Link

Keywords: Abstinence, Federal programs, New Hampshire, Sexuality education, State programs, Task forces

Annotation: This program guidance announcement describes how to apply for abstinence education special Congressional initiative project grants in 2004. The program is an earmark program separate from existing Title V set aside programs. This application was due July 28, 2004.

Keywords: Abstinence education, Adolescent health, Applications, Community programs, Federal programs, History, Sexuality education

Annotation: This program guidance describes how to prepare progress reports and continuation applications for abstinence education special Congressional initiative project grants in 2004. The program is an earmark program separate from existing Title V set aside programs. This application was due July 25, 2004.

Keywords: Abstinence education, Adolescent health, Applications, Community programs, Federal programs, History, Sexuality education