ABSTINENCE EDUCATION -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- EFFORTS TO ASSESS THE ACCURACYAND EFFECTIVENESS OF FEDERALLYFUNDED PROGRAMS* -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- ABBREVIATIONS -- LETTER -- RESULTS IN BRIEF -- BACKGROUND -- The State Program -- The Community-Based Program -- The AFL Program -- Funding for Abstinence-Until-Marriage Education Has Increased -- Federal Agency Responsibilities Related to Abstinence-until-Marriage Education -- ACF -- OPA -- CDC -- ASPE -- NIH -- FEDERAL AND STATE EFFORTS TO ASSESS THE SCIENTIFICACCURACY OF MATERIALS USED IN ABSTINENCEUNTIL-MARRIAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMSHAVE BEEN LIMITED -- ACF does not Review Program Materials for Scientific Accuracyand does not Require Grantees to do so, though Some State Granteeshave Conducted Such Reviews -- OPA Reviews Materials Used by AFL Program Granteesfor Scientific Accuracy -- A VARIETY OF EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO ASSESSTHE EFFECTIVENESS OF ABSTINENCE-UNTIL-MARRIAGEEDUCATION PROGRAMS, BUT A NUMBER OF FACTORSLIMIT THE CONCLUSIONS -- HHS, States, and Researchers Have Made a Variety of Efforts toAssess the Effectiveness of Abstinence-until-Marriage EducationPrograms -- ACF and OPA Have Required Grantee Reporting of Data on Outcomes -- ACF uses national data on adolescent behavior as a measure of the overalleffectiveness of its two programs -- Some states have made additional efforts to assess the effectivenessof abstinenceuntil-marriage education programs -- ASPE, CDC, and NIH are funding studies designed to assessthe effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage education programs -- Other researchers have also made efforts to assess the effectivenessof abstinenceuntil-marriage education programs -- Several Factors Limit the Conclusions That Can Be Drawn aboutthe Effectiveness of Abstinence-until-Marriage Education Programs.

Experts have developed criteria to evaluate efforts to assess abstinence-untilmarriageeducation programs -- Most efforts to assess the effectiveness of abstinenceuntil-marriageeducation programs have not used an experimental or quasi- experimentaldesign -- Most efforts to assess the effectiveness of abstinenceuntil-marriageeducation programs have not measured behavioral or biological outcomes -- Results of some scientifically valid assessment efforts have varied, and otherkey studies have not been completed -- CONCLUSIONS -- RECOMMENDATION FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION -- AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION -- APPENDIX I: HRSA'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCECONTRACT FOR ABSTINENCE EDUCATION -- HRSA Used Full and Open Competition Procedures to Awardthe Contract to NAC -- HRSA Identified No Actual or Potential Organizational Conflictsof Interest -- APPENDIX II: METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFYINGAND REVIEWING RESEARCH STUDIES -- APPENDIX IV: GAO CONTACT AND STAFFACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- GAO CONTACT -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- GAO'S MISSION -- OBTAINING COPIES OF GAO REPORTS AND TESTIMONY -- Order by Mail or Phone -- TO REPORT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE INFEDERAL PROGRAMS -- CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS -- PUBLIC AFFAIRS -- ASSESSING THE ACCURACYAND EFFECTIVENESS OF FEDERALLYFUNDED PROGRAMS* -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee -- BACKGROUND -- FEDERAL AND STATE EFFORTS TO ASSESS THE SCIENTIFICACCURACY OF MATERIALS USED IN ABSTINENCEUNTIL-MARRIAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMSHAVE BEEN LIMITED -- ACF Neither Reviewed Nor Required Grantees to Review ProgramMaterials for Scientific Accuracy, Although Some State Granteeshad Conducted Such Reviews -- OPA Reviewed Materials Used by AFL Program Granteesfor Scientific Accuracy.

A VARIETY OF EFFORTS WERE MADE TO ASSESSTHE EFFECTIVENESS OF ABSTINENCE-UNTIL-MARRIAGEEDUCATION PROGRAMS, BUT A NUMBER OF FACTORSLIMIT THE CONCLUSIONS THAT CAN BE DRAWN -- HHS, States, and Researchers Have Made a Variety of Effortsto Assess the Effectiveness of Abstinence-Until-MarriageEducation Programs -- Several Factors Limit the Conclusions That Can Be Drawn aboutthe Effectiveness of Abstinence-Until-Marriage Education Programs -- STATUTORY REQUIREMENT TO INCLUDE INFORMATIONON CONDOM EFFECTIVENESS WOULD APPLY TO CERTAINABSTINENCE-UNTIL-MARRIAGE EDUCATION MATERIALS -- CONTACT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- GAO'S MISSION -- OBTAINING COPIES OF GAO REPORTS AND TESTIMONY -- Order by Mail or Phone -- TO REPORT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE INFEDERAL PROGRAMS -- CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS -- PUBLIC AFFAIRS -- TESTIMONY ON DHHS ABSTINENCEEDCUCATION PROGRAMS BEFORE HOUSECOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHTAND GOVERNMENT REFORM* -- WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008 -- Background: HHS' Comprehensive Strategy -- Background: Abstinence Education Programs -- Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs -- Progress in Administration of Abstinence Education Programs -- REPORT RELEASED ON FOUR TITLE VABSTINENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS* -- BACKGROUND -- SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS -- IMPLICATIONS FOR ABSTINENCE EDUCATION -- SCIENTIFIC EVALUATIONS OF APPROACHESTO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY* -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- BACKGROUND -- SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF TEEN PREGNANCYPREVENTION APPROACHES -- Abstinence-Only Education. -- ACCORDING TO THE REPORT -- EXPERIMENTALLY DESIGNED STUDIES OF EFFECTIVECOMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL EDUCATION PREGNANCYPREVENTION PROGRAMS -- AN ABSTINENCE-ONLY INTERVENTION VERSUSAN ABSTINENCE MESSAGE -- INDEX.