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An abstinence program's impact on cognitive mediators and sexual initiation
Stan E Weed1, Irene H Ericksen, Allen Lewis
1Institute for Research and Evaluation, Salt Lake City, UT 84118, USA. weedstan@aol.com
Objectives:
To evaluate the impact of an abstinence education program on sexual intercourse initiation and on possible cognitive mediators of sexual initiation for virgin seventh graders in suburban Virginia.
Methods:
Measures of sexual behavior and 6 mediating variables were compared at 3 time periods for program participants and a matched comparison group (n=550), controlling for pretest differences.
Results:
At posttest, program students scored significantly better on 4 of the 6 mediators. After one year, program students had a substantially lower risk of sexual initiation than did comparison students (RR=.457, P=.008).
Conclusion:
The program achieved a significant reduction in teen sexual initiation, and the role of the cognitive mediators was supported.
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