Bill Mahr mentioned a study on abstinence on his last show

Anyone have a link to it? He said it was a longitudinal study but didn't say where it was done.

goto www.crooksandliars.com and scroll down to "New Rules". There are Windows Media and Realplayer links to the segment.

I saw the clip the other morning and talks about the study, but I do not recall if he says who did the study.

is the pre-eminent research organization on reproductive issues both here and all over the world. Their website may offer some clues as to the provenance of this study. It's www.agi.org.

Public release date: 17-Mar-2005
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Contact: Karen N. Peart
karen.peart@yale.edu
203-432-1326
Yale University

Virginity pledges do not reduce STD risk: May encourage high risk sexual behavior
Young adults who take virginity pledges as adolescents are as likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases as those who do not take virginity pledges, Yale and Columbia University researchers report in the March 18 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health.
The virginity pledges may even encourage higher risk sexual behavior among young adults, say study authors Hannah Brückner, assistant professor of sociology at Yale University and Peter Bearman, professor of sociology at Columbia University.

"We were surprised by the findings," said Brückner. "Pledgers have fewer sex partners than non-pledgers, they start having sex later, and they marry earlier, so they should have lower STD rates, but they don't."

One reason is that sexually active pledgers were less likely to use condoms at first sex than non-pledgers. Because most pledgers are sexually active (88 percent of the pledgers), lower rates of condom use increases STD risk. Brüeckner and Bearman also note that pledgers were less likely to seek and obtain STD-related health care, possibly because of increased stigmatization or misperception of infection risk among pledgers. Because pledgers are less likely to be diagnosed and treated for STD infections, they may be more likely to have those infections for longer periods than non-pledgers.

"If pledgers have infections for longer periods of time than non-pledgers, this is a reason for concern," said Brückner. The authors said even though pledgers used condoms at the same rate as non-pledgers at the time of their last interview, the fact that they were less likely to use condoms earlier could be why their STD rates remain high since they are less likely to be diagnosed. "Putting a condom on after getting an infection does not make the infection go away," said Brückner.

Pledging may lead some young adults to engage in alternative sexual behaviors in order to preserve their virginity. Among virgins--those who have not had vaginal intercourse--male pledgers are four times more likely to have anal sex; male and female pledgers are six times more likely to have oral sex than non-pledgers. Condom use for anal sex is very low; for oral almost non-existent. Therefore, Brückner said, virgin pledger engagement in riskier behavior may be a factor in higher than expected STD rates.

The authors added, "Pledgers who are married have the same STD rates as non-pledgers who are married. Marriage does not cause STDs; unprotected sex does. Knowing how to protect oneself from STDs is important. Since most adolescents and young adults will have sex, it is important that public health policies are designed to help young people gain the information they need to protect themselves, and others."


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Citation: Journal of Adolescent Health, 36 (March 18, 2005), pp. 271–278.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-03/yu-vpd031705.php

I don't have the link you're looking for, but here's some interesting stuff...

In the United States, the teen birth rate is nearly 11 times higher than that of the Netherlands, nearly five times higher than the rate in France, and nearly four times higher than that in Germany.

In the United States, the teen abortion rate is nearly eight times higher than the rate in Germany, nearly seven times higher than that in the Netherlands, and nearly three times higher than the rate in France.

In the United States, the estimated HIV prevalence rate in young men ages 15 to 24 is over five times higher than the rate in Germany, nearly three times higher than the rate in the Netherlands, and about 1 ½ times higher than that in France.

In the United States, the estimated HIV prevalence rate in young women ages 15 to 24 is six times higher than the rate in Germany, nearly three times higher than the rate in the Netherlands, and is the same as that in France.

In the United States, the teen syphilis rate is over six times higher than that of the Netherlands, over five times higher than the rate in former West Germany, and nearly three times higher than that in former East Germany.

In the United States, the teen gonorrhea rate is over 74 times higher than that in the Netherlands and France, over 66 times higher than the rate in former West Germany, and over 38 times higher than that in former East Germany.

In the United States, the teen chlamydia rate is over 20 times higher than that in France.

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsest.htm

The reason that abstinence is promoted in our society is solely because so many people don't like the idea of their daughters having sex before marriage. Studies have clearly shown abstinence programs do little or nothing to reduce sexual activity in youth, since humans are biological creatures designed specifically to have sex for the species to survive. Abstinence programs do make it more difficult for our youth to acquire accurate knowledge on bith control and STD control; thus, both of these can can actually increase because of the abstinence programs. Abstinence only programs are an incredible waste of resources (i.e money) and can put our youth at risk by denying accurate knowledge.

"...our results suggest that educating young people about AIDS does not promote sex and encourages safer sex, reducing the likelihood of HIV transmission and lowering the subsequent social costs." Tremblay and Ling, 2005, Health Economics, vol. 14 (March) in press.

"Pledgers are consistently less likely to be exposed to risk factors across a wide range of indicators, but their STD infection rate does not differ from nonpledgers. Possible explanations are that pledgers are less likely than others to use condoms at sexual debut and to be tested and diagnosed with STDs." Bruckner and Bearman, 2005, J. Adoles. Health 36: 271-278.

"Abstinence only programmes do not change sexual behaviour, Texas study shows." Tanne, 2005, Br. Med. J. 330: 326.

from Bushian policies are the people who voted for him. Or, their parents did. Kids brought up by, gasp!, liberal/progressive parents are taught about sexual behavior and its risks. Most kids progress along a normal (and, in my mind, healthy) time line of experimentation which gradually leads to sexual relationships. The ones who have been prepared (to the degree that parents/teachers can prepare kids) know to take precautions and use judgment.
The kids with the abstinence pledges are left without the knowledge needed for the emotional and physical aspects of sexual behavior.
So, they risk pregnancy, STDs, and emotional uncertainty connected with their behavior.
More needs to be publicized about the failure rate among these programs. What Mahr described..."porn star sex"...as the bargain these kids are making seems absurd. It's still sexual activity. Why can't we approach sex with more acceptance and reason?
We're not helping these kids with games.