An abstinence program's impact on cognitive mediators and sexual initiation.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of an abstinence education program on sexual intercourse initiation and on possible cognitive mediators of sexual initiation for virgin seventh graders in suburban Virginia. METHODS Measures of sexual behavior and 6 mediating variables were compared at 3 time periods for program participants and a matched comparison group (n=550), controlling for pretest differences. RESULTS At posttest, program students scored significantly better on 4 of the 6 mediators. After one year, program students had a substantially lower risk of sexual initiation than did comparison students (RR=.457, P=.008). CONCLUSION The program achieved a significant reduction in teen sexual initiation, and the role of the cognitive mediators was supported.