What Have We Learned from 25 Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage (AOUM) Programs and their Impact on Public Health Efforts to Control STDs and HIV?

Abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) programs raise fundamental issues about societal attitudes towards adolescent sexuality and the roles of science, religion, and ideology in the formulation of public health policy. Recently published scientific studies of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have shown that they have no overall impact on adolescent sexual activity and may negatively influence attitudes of participants towards the effectiveness of condoms and contraception. The results of these studies will be presented along with a discussion of how AOUM programs may impact public health goals including STD and HIV prevention in the US and internationally, and in addressing of racial and ethnic disparities.