The Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs Funded Under Title V Section 510: Interim Report.

Overview & Synopsis

This report presents interim findings from an independent, federally funded evaluation of the abstinence education programs authorized under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and defined under Title V, Section 510 (b)(2)(A-H) of the Social Security Act. The report draws heavily on 4 years of implementation experiences in a selected group of abstinence education programs funded under Section 501. The evaluation addresses: the nature and underlying theories of the abstinence education programs; the implementation and operational experiences of local communities and schools that have received abstinence education funding; and the impacts of abstinence education programs on the attitudes and intentions of youth to remain abstinent, on their sexual activity, and on their risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Data from program documents, program observations, focus groups, and interviews with participants highlight several lessons learned: Section 510 abstinence funds are changing the local landscape of approaches to teenage pregnancy prevention and youth risk avoidance; most abstinence education programs offer more than one message of abstinence; most participants report favorable feelings about the program experience; and programs face real challenges addressing peer pressure and communication between parents and children. An appendix lists the technical workgroup for the evaluation of Title V Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs. (Contains 41 references.) (SM)