Ohio Abstinence Program's Results Surprise Researchers

(LifeSiteNews.com) A recent study published in the American Journal of Health Behavior shows that "abstinence-until-marriage" programs have produced encouraging results among middle school students in Greater Cleveland.

The study was conducted by surveying 2,069 grade seven and eight students that had participated in the school-based program called "For Keeps," run by Operation Keepsake in Mayfield, OH. The program consists of five 40 minute sessions. The sessions stress abstinence-until-marriage, presents virginity as a "gift" that should be shared in marriage and emphasizes the dangers of teen pregnancy and sexual diseases, including HIV. Those students who were sexually active reported fewer sexual partners and sexual encounters five months later.

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