Abstinence-Only Classes Reduced Sexual Activity, Study Found

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As a white American girl growing up in a predominately black neighborhood with the occasional Hispanic family sprinkled in the mix I can say that sex was "the thing to do" nobody taught their kids that their bodies were sacred or special or to be treasured by their one life partner after marriage. I remember from the age of 12 years old little boys trying to get me to go behind the shed or sneak into the garage or even climb into the tree house and they wanted everything they could get. "No", didn't even mean anything to them. Actually, it did, "no" meant they just needed to try harder. There was only a few things to do in our time the 80's and baseball, football, riding bikes and playing chase got old fast. Most of my friends were left alone for hours and didn't even have a cooked hot meal for them because they were victims of broken homes and had single mothers that had to make a living. I know these moms did the best they could but I just think that if the educators and churches spent a little more time on teaching who people are on the inside instead of what we consist of anatomically we might have had more respect for ourselves and each other and sex, teen pregnancy and abortions might not have been such an out of control issue. Kids today need to know that they are children of God and that He expects more from us than just throwing our bodies around like a toy that any person out there can play with at any time. I also don't believe that these studies should be conducted on our children like lab mice. I think they need every tool they can get whether its abstinence, condoms, teaching or preaching they should all have a chance to know their options and their possibilities. Children are sponges they will soak up anything we throw at them no matter what age. I don't thing we should limit the information that we expose them to or limit at what age we begin. Preschoolers may not need to know about a penis and a vagina but they can learn about respect and love from a very early age and that is what is missing from sex education.

J. Walker of Houston of TX 3:19AM October 01, 2010

As a black parent this is an EXTREMELY significant finding. It's a shame that most of the media isn't reporting it as it doesn't jive with their liberal narrative.

Emmit Langley of GA 2:16PM February 05, 2010

It is widely reported that 58% of teens will have a mishap in the car during thier first year of driving. I am not sure that means we should stop teaching Driver's Ed. though.

John of NE 1:46PM February 02, 2010

Gotta hand it to the Jemmotts & Doc Fong.
They're gonna keep doing this SAME study over and over and over (asl long as the fools @ NIMH will keep funding them to produce the SAME study in the same Philly backyard with the same age group, # of kids, and sought after conclusion(s).
The 1998 study:
Abstinence and Safer Sex HIV Risk-Reduction Interventions for African American Adolescents
A Randomized Controlled Trial
John B. Jemmott III, PhD; Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, RN, FAAN; Geoffrey T. Fong, PhD
JAMA. 1998;279:1529-1536.
Context.— African American adolescents are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but which behavioral interventions to reduce risk are most effective and who should conduct them is not known.
Objective.— To evaluate the effects of abstinence and safer-sex HIV risk-reduction interventions on young inner-city African American adolescents' HIV sexual risk behaviors when implemented by adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators.
IS [almost] EXACTLY THE SAME STUDY! Check it out:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/279/19/1529
BUT, different conclusion(s):
Conclusion.— Both abstinence and safer-sex interventions can reduce HIV sexual risk behaviors, but safer-sex interventions may be especially effective with sexually experienced adolescents and may have longer-lasting effects.
So... Now, perhaps they didn't get the 'right' answer back in 98. Perhaps, they're JUST serial-grant seekers from the govt/NIMH. Perhaps they're politically/religously inclined and/or alternatively funded by OTHERS so inclined...?
Like I said in 'Part I': I need more info, especially some background info on the politics and religious 'bent' of the Jemmotts and Fong.
In the meantime, hug your 12 y olds and spend some time with them and YOU might want to BE RESPONSIBLE & have 'the talk', insted of leaving it to the street or the schools.
How about THAT for a 'program'?

Kenneth E. Tucker of VT 8:42PM February 01, 2010

Gotta hand it to the Jemmotts & Doc Fong.
They're gonna keep doing this SAME study over and over and over (asl long as the fools @ NIMH will keep funding them to produce the SAME study in the same Philly backyard with the same age group, # of kids, and sought after conclusion(s).
The 1998 study:
Abstinence and Safer Sex HIV Risk-Reduction Interventions for African American Adolescents
A Randomized Controlled Trial
John B. Jemmott III, PhD; Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, RN, FAAN; Geoffrey T. Fong, PhD
JAMA. 1998;279:1529-1536.
Context.— African American adolescents are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but which behavioral interventions to reduce risk are most effective and who should conduct them is not known.
Objective.— To evaluate the effects of abstinence and safer-sex HIV risk-reduction interventions on young inner-city African American adolescents' HIV sexual risk behaviors when implemented by adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators.
IS [almost] EXACTLY THE SAME STUDY! Check it out:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/279/19/1529
BUT, different conclusion(s):
Conclusion.— Both abstinence and safer-sex interventions can reduce HIV sexual risk behaviors, but safer-sex interventions may be especially effective with sexually experienced adolescents and may have longer-lasting effects.
So... Now, perhaps they didn't get the 'right' answer back in 98. Perhaps, they're JUST serial-grant seekers from the govt/NIMH. Perhaps they're politically/religously inclined and/or alternatively funded by OTHERS so inclined...?
Like I said in 'Part I': I need more info, especially some background info on the politics and religious 'bent' of the Jemmotts and Fong.
In the meantime, hug your 12 y olds and spend some time with them and YOU might want to BE RESPONSIBLE & have 'the talk', insted of leaving it to the street or the schools.
How about THAT for a 'program'?

Kenneth E. Tucker of VT 8:40PM February 01, 2010

Jemmott, J.B. III, Jemmott, L.S. & Fong, G.T. (1998). Abstinence and safer sex HIV risk-reduction interventions for African American adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 279, 1529-1536.
The Doctors involved in THIS study:
John B. Jemmott III, PhD; Loretta S. Jemmott, PhD, RN; Geoffrey T. Fong, PhD
reached the SAME conclusion back in 1998 (see above). Now, either the Jemmotts and Dr Fong are just 'working' the govt 'tit' (NIMH - National Instutute of Mental Health) to stay 'flu$h' in grant money and 'busy' or, they MAY have an agenda that LEANS to abstinence.
WHY would you repeat the SAME (or a minor variation thereof) study 10y apart?
the more i 'see' the less likely i am to accept the (unfounded) assertion abstinence making a big difference (in average age 12 mind you).
spend some time with your AVERAGE age 12yr old kid(s) a ballgame, a hobby, and, keep your 12u OFF the street and they'll be abstinent AND happy you're 'investing' in them.

Kenneth E. Tucker of VT 8:03PM February 01, 2010

I believe that abstinence education, coupled with caring adult mentors, can enable many teens (Black, White, Hispanic, Oriental, Native American, or anything else) to wait until they are physically, emotionally, mentally, and economically ready to accept the responsibilities of parenthood. The main concern to me is that the students/teens have adults interested enough in them to be there for them and provide them with positive role models and sincere interest in helping them negotiate their way to adulthood.
Yes, other approaches, such a teaching about contraceptives, may also be effective; but I truly believe that the interest of one or more caring adults in the life of a child is of the utmost importance, and everything else is secondary to that. Anything we, as a caring community, can do to motivate ourselves and other adults to step up and offer our support to at-risk teens is worthwhile.
So, let's do it, OK? Enough talk, let's take action. I challenge every person who reads this to reach out to ONE teen to offer his/her support. Your personal interest in that one young person may make an incredible difference ~ GO FOR IT!
BettyLee

Elizabeth Martin of GA 7:37PM February 01, 2010

An old 'sales' axiom states: "Buyers are Liars". And this study is replete w/opportunities and/or REASONS to lie.
First: I'm w/GSA of CA on who got selected for which group and how/why they wound up in which group. If 'choice' WAS involved then ALL the data skews it's the equivalent of run 'blind' taste test for a 'cola' and letting each group pick the sweet sweeter or sweetest colas to 'taste' to see if they REALLY do like their choice as much as they thought they would.
Second: Students in the 'abstinence only' category are EXPECTED by virtue of their 'values' (choice ?) and/or the 'norm' for the group, to be more chaste/less active.
Third: What about the parents? Did THEY have a 'choice' about which group/category their kids were gong to be involved over a couple of years? AND, what are THEIR beliefs re: choices/abstinence?
The 'rest of the (Paul Harvey) story: who 'built' the study, oversaw it, and FUNDED it?
Like most studies that are NOT purely scientific (and this one is certainly NOT assertions to of Albert aside),... 'Money Talks'.
My 'thought' summary? Not enough info to understand the results. We need more info and/or links to the actual study. Here's the med journal where the study was published: http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/.

Kenneth E. Tucker of VT 7:32PM February 01, 2010

It is widely reported that 58% of teens will have a mishap in the car during thier first year of driving. I am not sure that means we should stop teaching Driver's Ed. though.

John of NE 7:17PM February 01, 2010

It's about time abstinence got its fair credit.
Not everyone's raising their kids to be promiscuous STD magnets. I'm not at all religious, but I know of the psychological, physio-chemical, and empirical benefits of both men and women saving themselves for someone they deeply love, rather than anyone "doable" or with whom they are infatuated.
The majority of promiscuous young men and women are distressed and uncertain when it comes to romance. And it comes from a powerful reason.
Sex is not like playing catch, and it damn well shouldn't be treated as such. A powerful and lasting connection can be potentially created and nurtured, for example when taking into account the recent results revealed regarding oxytocin and its role in forming bonds.
All you critics can let your children whore away all you wish, they're your kids. But the rest of us know better, and we'll teach our children to treasure themselves, their bodies, and their futures, and to not take such leaps so lightly.

SmallBusinessOwnerInNYC of NY 7:16PM February 01, 2010