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Home :: Publications :: Tips for Selecting, Developing, or Adapting an Abstinence Education Curriculum
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Tips for Selecting, Developing, or Adapting an
Abstinence Education Curriculum

Deciding on an abstinence education curriculum can be a daunting task. By taking into consideration specific teaching parameters as well as recent research findings, providers can identify, create, or adapt a curriculum that fits best with their program’s unique circumstances.

Note: Neither the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) nor the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) recommends or endorses any particular abstinence education curricula.  Further, while this fact sheet includes links to Web sites with information relevant to abstinence education, inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by FYSB, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or NCFY. Moreover, the points of view or opinions expressed on these Web sites do not necessarily represent the official position, policies, or views of FYSB, HHS, or NCFY.

  • LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

    When evaluating different curricula, keep in mind the setting in which the organization will operate. Logistical issues may include class size, class period time, program duration, participant demographics, and opportunities for followup. No single curriculum will be a perfect fit for every program.

  • EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS

    Research points to many characteristics that may strengthen the short- and long-term effectiveness of abstinence education programs.
    • Involving parents increases the effectiveness of abstinence education programs.[1], [2], [3]

    • Stressing and cultivating peer support for abstinence increases the likelihood that youth will refrain from sexual activity, as does correcting the teen perception that "everyone is doing it."[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

    • Programs that strengthen school attachment or that involve community service have been shown to reduce multiple risk behaviors, including sexual activity.[9], [10], [11]

    • Employing a variety of instructional methods (e.g., role play activities, skill building activities, homework with parents, etc.) increases program effectiveness.[12]

    • Teaching refusal skills is important. In one study, sexually active youth were more likely to report never having been taught refusal skills, while virgins reported using refusal skills often.[13]

    • Both the number of instruction hours and consistent followup activities and messages impact the effectiveness of programs encouraging behavior change in adolescents.[14], [15], [16]

    • Different approaches are more or less effective when working with youth of various races and ethnicities. Cultural competence not only demonstrates respect for the youth involved, but will also increase the likelihood that the message is accepted. Current research provides specific guidance for those working with African American,[17], [18] Hispanic,[19] Asian American,[20] and Native American youth.[21], [22]

    • Relationship skills programs can also help young people resist sexual pressure and develop more positive attitudes toward abstinence and marriage.[23], [24] These programs, which typically address interpersonal communication and self-efficacy, may also contribute to lower divorce rates.[25]

    • Youth with a positive self-concept and greater personal assets are more likely to delay sexual activity.[26], [27] Successful programs should therefore seek to incorporate character education and personal skills and asset building.[28]

    • Successful programs are theory based.[29] Most focus on social behavior theory, which helps participants evaluate perceived benefits against the costs of risk behavior.

    • Curricula should identify specific measurable behavior goals for participants.[30], [31]

    • Successful curricula should include an evaluation component that measures the effectiveness of delaying sexual debut and the shift in attitudes towards delaying sexual activity. For examples of such evaluations, see Effectiveness of Abstinence Education Programs: Annotated Bibliography of Recent Research.

  • ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    Other organizations and agencies that facilitate abstinence education programs can be a valuable source of information. Contact information - often including Web addresses - for all State abstinence education program coordinators and CBAE grantees may be found on the Family and Youth Services Bureau Web site.

[1]Effects of a Parent-Child Communications Intervention on Young Adolescents’ Risk for Early Onset of Sexual Intercourse. Authors: S. Blake, L. Simkin, and R. Ledsky. In Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 33, No. 2 (March/April 2001): pp. 52-61. Available free from the Guttmacher Institute,   www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3305201.pdf.

[2]African-American and Hispanic Adolescents’ Intentions to Delay First Intercourse: Parental Communication as a Buffer for Sexually Active Peers. Authors: A. Fasula and K. Miller. In Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 38, No. 3 (March 2006): pp. 193-200. Available free from the Society for Adolescent Medicine, http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1054-139X/PIIS1054139X04004653.pdf.

[3]Sexual Risk Attitudes and Intentions of Youth Aged 12-14 Years: Survey Comparisons of Parent-Teen Prevention and Control Groups. Authors: R. Lederman, W. Chan, and C. Roberts-Gray. In Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Winter 2004): pp. 155-163. Available for a fee from Heldref Publications, http://heldref.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=searcharticlesresults,1,1.

[4]Peer Selection and Socialization Effects on Adolescent Intercourse Without a Condom and Attitudes About the Costs of Sex. Authors: D. Henry et al. In Child Development, Vol. 78, No. 3 (May/June 2007): pp. 825-836. Available for a fee from Blackwell Synergy, www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01035.x.

[5]Early Adolescents’ Cognitive Susceptibility to Initiating Sexual Intercourse. Authors: K. L’Engle, C. Jackson, and J. Brown. In Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Vol. 38, No. 2 (June 2006): pp. 97-105. Available for a fee from the Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3809706.html.

[6]Friends’ Influence on Adolescents’ First Sexual Intercourse. Authors: R. Sieving et al. In Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Vol. 38, No. 1 (2006): pp. 28-36. Available for a fee from the Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3801306.html.

[7]The Association of Sexual Experience With Attitudes, Beliefs, and Risk Behaviors of Inner-City Adolescents. Authors: E. Silver and L. Bauman. In Journal of Research on Adolescence, Vol. 16, No. 1 (March 2006): pp. 29-45. Available for a fee from Blackwell Synergy, www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00118.x.

[8]Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs. Authors: C. Trenholm et al. 2007. Available free from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf.

[9]The Protective Value of School Enrolment Against Sexually Transmitted Disease: A Study of High-Risk African American Adolescent Females. Authors: R. Crosby et al. In Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vol. 83, No. 3 (June 2007): pp. 223-227. Available for a fee from BMJ Publishing Group, http://sti.bmj.com.

[10]Promoting Social Inclusion in Schools: A Group-Randomized Trial of Effects on Student Health Risk Behavior and Well-Being. Authors: G. Patton et al. In American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96, No. 9 (September 2006): pp. 1582-1587. Available for a fee from the American Public Health Association, www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/96/9/1582.

[11]The Effectiveness of the Reach for Health Community Youth Service Learning Program in Reducing Early and Unprotected Sex Among Urban Middle School Adolescents. Authors: L. O’Donnell et al. In American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 89, No. 2 (February 1999):pp. 176-181.  Available for free from the American Public Health Association, www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/89/2/176.pdf.

[12]Effects of a Parent-Child Communications Intervention on Young Adolescents’ Risk for Early Onset of Sexual Intercourse.  Authors: S. Blake et al. In Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 33, No. 2 (March/April 2001):pp. 52-61.  Available for free from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3305201.html.

[13]Coital Status and Perceptions About Sexual Abstinence Refusal Skills. Authors: S. Nagy, G. Watts, and M. Nagy. In Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 31, No. 1 (July 2002):pp. 79-83. Available for a fee from the Society for Adolescent Medicine, www.jahonline.org/article/PIIS1054139X02003385/abstract.

[14]Can Abstinence Work?  An Analysis of the Best Friends Program. Author: R. Lerner. In Adolescent & Family Health, Vol. 3, No. 4 (2004):pp. 185-182. Available for a fee from the Institute for Youth Development, www.afhjournal.org.

[15]Teen Risk-Taking: Promising Prevention Programs and Approaches. Authors: M. Eisen et al. 2000.  Available for free from the Urban Institute, http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/TeenRiskTaking_2.pdf.

[16]A randomized trial of a multicomponent intervention for adolescent sun protection behaviors. Authors: G. Norman et. al. In Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 161, No. 2 (February 2007): pp. 146-152.  Available for free from  the American Medical Association, http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/161/2/146.

[17]African-American and Hispanic Adolescents’ Intentions to Delay First Intercourse: Parental Communication as a Buffer for Sexually Active Peers. In Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 38, No. 3 (March 2006): pp. 193-200. Available for free from the Society for Adolescent Medicine, http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1054-139X/PIIS1054139X04004653.pdf.

[18]Understanding Sexual Abstinence in African American Teens. Author: K. Haglund. In The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, Vol. 31, No. 2 (March/April 2006): pp. 86-92. Available for a fee from the National Center for Biotechnological Information, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16523032?dopt=Abstract

[19]African-American and Hispanic Adolescents’ Intentions to Delay First Intercourse: Parental Communication as a Buffer for Sexually Active Peers. In Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 38, No. 3 (March 2006): pp. 193-200. Available for free from the Society for Adolescent Medicine, http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1054-139X/PIIS1054139X04004653.pdf.

[20]Asian American Adolescents’ First Sexual Intercourse: Gender and Acculturation Differences. Authors: H. Hahm, M. Lahiff, and R. Barreto. In Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Vol. 38, No. 1 (2006): pp. 28-36. Available for a fee from the Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3802806.html.

[21]Cumulative Risk for Early Sexual Initiation Among American Indian Youth:  A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis. Authors: C. Mitchell, N. Whitesell, and P. Spicer. In Journal of Research on Adolescence, Vol. 17, No. 2 (May 2007): pp. 387-412. Available for a fee from Blackwell Synergy, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2007.00527.x

[22]Environmental, Social, and Personal Correlates of Having Ever Had Sexual Intercourse Among American Indian Youths. Authors: W. Hellerstedt, M. Peterson-Hickey, and K. Rhodes. In American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96, No. 12 (December 2006): pp. 2228-2234. Available for a fee from the American Public Health Association, http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/12/2228

[23]Final Summary Report for the Evaluation of the “Connections: Dating and Emotions” Curriculum. Author: S. Gardner. (2005). Available for free from the Dibble Institute, www.dibblefund.org/Documents/CDE-FER.pdf.

[24]Evaluation of the “Connections: Relationships and Marriage” Curriculum. Author: S. Gardner. In Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring/Summer 2001):pp. 1-14. Available for free from the National Association of Teacher Educators for Family and Consumer Sciences, http://www.natefacs.org/JFCSE/vol19no1/v19no1Gardner.pdf.

[25]Factors Contributing to Increasing Marital Stability in the United States. Author: T. Heaton. In Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 23, No. 3 (2002):392-409. Available for a fee from Sage Publications, http://jfi.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/3/392.

[26]Psychosocial Predictors of Delay of First Sexual Intercourse by Adolescents. Authors: S. C. Carvajal, G. S. Parcel, K. Basen-Engquiest, S. W. Banspach, K. K. Coyle, D. Kirby, and W. Chan. In Health Psychology, Vol. 18, No. 5 (September 1999):pp. 443-452. Available for a fee from the American Psychological Association, http://content.apa.org/journals/hea/18/5/443.pdf.

[27]Predicting Adolescent Risk Behaviors Based on An Ecological Framework and Assets. Authors: B. Reininger et al. In American Journal of Health Behavior, Vol. 29, No. 2 (March/April 2005):pp. 150-161. Available for free from the American Academy of Health Behavior, http://www.ajhb.org

[28]Sexual Risk and Protective Factors: Factors Affecting Teen Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy, Childbearing and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Which Are Important? Which Can You Change? Authors: D. Kirby, G. Lepore, and J. Ryan. (2005). Available free from ETR Associates, http://www.etr.org/recapp/theories/RiskProtectiveFactors/index.htm

[29]Teen Risk-Taking: Promising Prevention Programs and Approaches. Authors: M. Eisen, C. Pallitto, C. Bradnre, and N. Bolshun. 2000.  Available for free from the Urban Institute, http://www.urban.org/publications/310293.html.

[30]Tool to Assess the Characteristics of Effective Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs. Authors: D. Kirby, L. Rolleri, and M. Wilson. (2007). Available for free from the Healthy Teen Network, www.healthyteennetwork.org.

[31]Teen Risk-Taking: Promising Prevention Programs and Approaches. Authors: M. Eisen, C. Pallitto, C. Bradnre, and N. Bolshun. 2000.  Available for free from the Urban Institute, http://www.urban.org/publications/310293.html.


 
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