title: Effectiveness of abstinence-only intervention in middle school teens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage curriculum on knowledge, beliefs, efficacy, intentions, and behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomized control trial involving 2069 middle school students with a 5-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention students reported increases in knowledge and abstinence beliefs, but decreases in intentions to have sex and to use condoms. Intervention did not influence sexual initiation or condom use; however, intervention students who had sex during the evaluation period reported fewer sexual episodes and fewer partners than did controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abstinence-until-marriage interventions can influence knowledge, beliefs, and intentions, and among sexually experienced students, may reduce the prevalence of casual sex. Reduction in condom use intentions merits further study to determine long-term implications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion Research, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. exb11@cwru.edu
authors.forename: Elaine A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Borawski
authors.forename: Erika S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Trapl
authors.forename: Loren D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Lovegreen
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colabianchi
authors.forename: Tonya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Block
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*