True abstinence education programs help young people to develop an understanding of commitment, fidelity, and intimacy that will serve them well as the foundations of healthy marital life in the future. Abstinence education programs have repeatedly been shown to be effective in reducing sexual activity among their participants.

• According to an article written by The Heritage Foundation, real abstinence education is essential to reducing out-of-wedlock childbearing, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and improving emotional and physical well-being among the nation’s youth. True abstinence education programs help young people to develop an understanding of commitment, fidelity, and intimacy that will serve them well as the foundations of healthy marital life in the future. Abstinence education programs have repeatedly been shown to be effective in reducing sexual activity among their participants. However, funding for the evaluation of abstinence education programs has ranged, until very recently, from meager to nonexistent. Currently, the number of adequately-funded evaluations of abstinence education is increasing. At present, there are several promising new evaluations nearing completion. As each year passes, it can be expected that the number of evaluations showing that abstinence education does significantly reduce sexual activity will grow steadily. Abstinence education is a developing field. As abstinence programs develop and become more broadly available, future evaluations will enable the programs to hone and increase their effectiveness.¹

¹The Effectiveness of Abstinence Education Programs in Reducing Sexual Activity Among Youth, The Heritage Foundation, April 8, 2002, pp. 1-12.

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