Abstinence Only Programs Do Not Reduce HIV Infection

Source: NEW YORK (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In high income countries, programs that encourage abstinence from sex as the only method of preventing HIV infection are not effective in achieving this goal, findings from a review of trial data suggest.

As reported in this week's issue of the British Medical Journal, Dr. Kristen Underhill and colleagues, from the University of Oxford in the UK, searched 30 electronic databases to identify studies that examined the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs as a means of preventing HIV infection. Data from 13 trials, containing nearly 16,000 U.S. youth, were included in their analysis.

Compared with no program, safer sex programs, and various other control programs, the abstinence-only programs did not seem to reduce HIV risk. Specifically, abstinence-only programs did not influence the rate of unprotected vaginal sex, the number of sexual partners, condom use, or initiation of sexual activity.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070803/hl_nm/abstinence_hiv_dc

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No surprise here. Click on the link to give it a FIVE Star if you agree with the assessment.

.......until gays and lesbians are allowed to marry.

:sarcasm:

Sounds like something from the Junior Anti-Sex League don't it?

If people who claim to be abstinent are turning up with AIDS, I don't think the problem is with the abstinence program, its with the people NOT being abstinent. DUH! If somebody wants to go out and have sex with strangers or high-risk partners, that's their business, but don't blame it on the only 100% guaranteed way to prevent disease, pregnancy, and deep psychological self esteem destruction!

Facts are that abstinence programs don't work because having sex is a part of a having a healthy life.

Abstinence programs don't work because it assumes people will never have sex until they are married.

Until you allow marriage for gays, it is genocide for gays.

It's the advocacy of systematic way to insure gays never have sex and never get married to each other.

It's genocide.

I support monogamous, committed, safe sex practices for married homosexuals (and heterosexuals).

That's far safer and more realistic than abstinence programs that ultimately come to an end when the person has ........gosh...... SEX.

Prepare them for that and you are preparing them for life.

Because unless the kids can stick to it (which they obviously cannot), it doesn't work. In a perfect world it would, but we don't live in a perfect world.

An interesting fact: the average age of marriage in this country is 26. How many 26-yr old virgins are running around out there, even after enrolling in abstinence-only classes?

Oh well. Larry, you are sadly misinformed. If you are going to compare the effectiveness of a birth control and/or STD prevention program, you have to compare pregnancy and STD rates for the entire population using each program (or a random sample thereof) and if you pick and choose only the members of the population who have successful outcomes, you are 'cherry picking your data' which is either because you are intentionally trying to deceive people or because you are a fool.

Abstinence as a birth control and std prevention program is a failure compared with other programs.

Abstinence programs are best returned to the religous domain from which they came and have no business being used or advocated in secular society.

Have a nice day.

The asshat came to our school and conducted a bogus pre-pricked (pun intended) balloon demonstration to show the kids why they shouldn't use condoms. She then proceeded to lie and misinform them about every aspect of STD prevention and birth control.