The Abstinence Education E-Update is a free information service of the Division of Abstinence Education of the HHS/ACF Family and Youth Services Bureau, provided by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth. Contact NCFY at (301) 608-8098 or ncfy@acf.hhs.gov. If you're having trouble viewing this e-mail, please click here to view a version of it on the Web.
October 31, 2006 Strong Messages Get Girls To Wait on Motherhood Uncle Sam Says, 'I Do' State Spurns Federal Sex Ed Money Program Linking Dads, Kids Gets Boost: $1.25M Grant Aims To Promote Success in School Local Teen Pregnancy Rate Down; District Continues Abstinence-Based Programs Marriage Is Alive and Well Among Foreign Born Mixing Alcohol, Sex Makes Dangerous Cocktail GAO Advises Agency on Condom Information Parent and Child Reunion (Letter to the Editor from W. Bradford Wilcox) Talking Sex to Teens Speaker Encourages Abstinence Marriage on the Skids in U.S. Not So Say Family Advocates Abstinence: Beyond Religion, a Choice That Just Makes Good Sense Married and Single Parents Spending More Time With Children, Study Finds New Research Indicates the Brain Keeps Developing Well Into Teen Years, Maybe Even Into Mid-20s The Abstinence Shtick, Minus Jesus Abstinence Is the Only Option Montrose Scores $1 Million Grant for Parenting Program Teen Pregnancy Decline Hopeful Weber County To Teach Abstinence Only Classes Marriage Rise Bucks National Trend Special Program Teaches Abstinence to Young People NEA Challenges Abstinence Education Programs Student Leaders Learn About Choices U.S. Teacher’s Union Lists Favorable Review of Abstinence Then Blasts It Uganda: 13,500 Students Choose Abstinence, Says Janet Museveni Randall Brings Message of Abstinence Youth Choose Abstinence Over Sex Stay the Course Abstinence Advocates Slam Government's Approach to Sex Education Marriage Boosts Parents' Mental Health AIDS Prevention Is All Up to the Individual Teen Pregnancies Continue Downward Trend Community-Based Abstinence Education Programs in Tennessee Measurement in Abstinence Education: Critique and Recommendations (June 2006) – The authors of this article (published in Evaluation & the Health Professions, Volume 26[2]:180-205) developed “gold standards” for evaluating abstinence education programs, based on their study of existing adolescent sexuality research. The authors encourage abstinence education programs to utilize these new standards in order to maximize the benefit of self-report surveys and other program evaluation tools. Talking Parents, Healthy Teens: A Worksite-based Program for Parents To Promote Adolescent Sexual Health (October 2006) – The authors of this article (published in Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy, Volume 3[4]) developed an intervention called Talking Parents, Healthy Teens. The purpose of the eight weekly 1-hour sessions—conducted at parents’ worksites—is “to help parents improve communication with their adolescent children, promote healthy adolescent sexual development, and reduce adolescent sexual risk behaviors.” While the program includes topics that are not compliant with the requirements of federally-funded abstinence education programs, it does contain good information regarding educating and engaging parents. Sacrifice as a Predictor of Marital Outcomes (October 2006) – The authors of this article (published in Family Process, Volume 45[3]:289-304) examined the role of sacrificial attitudes in the context of romantic relationships. They found spousal attitudes toward sacrifice predicted which couples would become distressed over time and which would not. Additionally, sacrificial attitudes led to a greater ability to maintain relationship adjustment over time. These findings are important in the context of counseling couples both during and prior to experiences of marital distress. Indicators of Marriage and Fertility in the United States from the American Community Survey, 2000 to 2003 (October 2006) – This new national survey of more than 3 million women was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The report provides insights into the links between marriage, fertility, and socioeconomic characteristics such as mother’s income, age, work status and language spoken at home. The ACS, which will be conducted each year, will provide valuable information on trends in teen births, family structure, and other issues, as well as geographic patterns for these variables. Parental Divorce and Subsequent Disadvantage: A Cross-Cohort Comparison (August 2005). The authors of this article (published in Demography, Volume 42 [3]: 427-446) studied the short- and long-term outcomes of two cohorts of children experiencing parental divorce. Contrary to popular theories, the authors found that the negative impact experienced by children of divorced parents in 1970 was just as significant as that experienced by children whose parents divorced in 1958; this is despite the fact that divorce had become more accepted and commonplace by 1970. Children of parents who divorced in 1970 experienced similar levels of anxiety to the earlier cohort, and they experienced increased levels of behavioral problems. As adults, the two cohorts experienced statistically similar negative outcomes in the areas of academic achievement/employment, receipt of welfare benefits, and adult depression. Manuscript and Poster Abstracts for the Abstinence Education Evaluation Conference (see below) National Abstinence Education Grantees Conference Abstinence Education Evaluation Conference Abstinence and Its Critics (October 2006) – This 59-page staff report on abstinence education, issued by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, is an official response to The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs, issued in December 2004 by minority members of the Committee and commonly referred to as the Waxman Report. Abstinence and Its Critics begins with background information on the state of abstinence education in the United States. It addresses the claims and implications of the Waxman Report, including issues of outcomes, funding, and content of curricula. A copy of the earlier report is appended for reference. National Abstinence Leadership Council Statement on Medical Accuracy GAO Letter Regarding Medical Accuracy of Abstinence Education ACF Awards $118 Million To Promote Marriage, Fatherhood Additional Resources
Quote for the Day "The only completely effective way for teenagers to avoid early and unintended pregnancies and [sexually transmitted infections] is to abstain from sex... [T]eenagers are not perfect users of either condoms or hormonal contraceptives.” (Child Trends, Trends and Recent Estimates: Contraceptive Use Among U.S. Teens, August 2006) |
STAN KOUTSTAAL is an Abstinence Education Program Specialist, having joined the staff in September, 2005. Dr. Koutstaal has served the Administration for Children and Families since October 2003, providing technical assistance and support for healthy marriage programs through the Office of Family Assistance. Prior to his Federal service, Dr. Koutstaal was the director of counseling at a faith-based organization in St. Louis, Missouri. His work included providing marriage and family therapy, therapy supervision, and a variety of family life education programs. Dr. Koutstaal has also served as an adjunct faculty member for graduate classes at St. Louis University and Virginia Tech University. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor sports and recreation, music, and spending time with his family.The Abstinence Education E-Update comprises links to Web sites with information on current events, research, funding opportunities, and other items related to abstinence-until-marriage education. Inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (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.
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