CONTINUALLY SURPRISED BY THE OBVIOUS:

Abstinence lessons reap some benefits, study says (Regina McEnery, September 03, 2005, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

In a field fraught with controversy and short of hard data, a study of abstinence-until-marriage programs uncovered some encouraging results among middle school students in Greater Cleveland.

The survey of 2,069 seventh- and eighth-graders found that sexually active students who participated in the school-based program, called For Keeps, reported fewer sexual partners and sexual encounters five months later. The study is one of the few scientifically valid studies done on abstinence education in the country, experts say. [...]

Dr. Elaine Borawski, a public health researcher at Case Western Reserve University and lead author of the study, said she was surprised how much the program, funded with federal tax dollars, influenced sexually active adolescents.

"Everyone says that kids who have had sex won't find programs like this relevant," said Borawski, who has reviewed Operation Keepsake's programs in the past. "It did seem that it resonated with them more than we thought."

duh?

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 3, 2005 5:20 PM