Abstinence-only programs were no more effective than other interventions, including no intervention.
Programs that encourage sexual abstinence ought to reduce rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV infection). In this systematic review, researchers assessed studies of sexual abstinence in developed countries where gross national income per capita exceeded about US$11,000, based on the assumption that such programs will be most effective in these countries. The analysis included only clinical trials that listed HIV prevention as a rationale for the study; actual incidence of HIV infection was not an endpoint in any of the studies.
Investigators identified 13 studies — all conducted in the U.S. — involving 15,940 adolescents and young adults. All studies compared abstinence-only counseling and education (with a me…