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.
November 30, 2006 Marriage Matters Calvin Theater Student Has a Case of Stage Bright 4 Out of 10 U.S. Births Out of Wedlock Official Promotes Marriage To Help Poor Kids Unprotected: How Universities Can Be Hazardous to Student Health End the Politics of Labels and Sex Education, Urges International Abstinence Association Bush Choice for Family-Planning Post Criticized Abstinence and Football The Extra Benefits of Wedded Bliss Health and Education Grants Program – Detroit Lions Charities Health, Education and Inner-City Services Grants – Teammates for Kids Foundation Substantial Vows, Suspicious Scholarship (November 2006) and How Researchers Spin Good Abstinence Data (November 2006) – In these two resources, the Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society addresses a popular journal article in which the authors challenge the positive impact of virginity pledges. The Howard Center identifies ways in which the researchers skewed the analysis of their own results. Further, the Howard Center points out that the research findings (a) support the positive impact of virginity pledges; and (b) indicate that youth receiving education on the use of condoms have higher rates of sexual activity. (Follow this link to the original article: Promising To Wait: Virginity Pledges and Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 36[5]:428-436, 2005.) The Other Marriage Penalty: A New Proposal To Eliminate the Marriage Penalty for Low-Income Americans (November 2006) – The authors of this research brief, from the Center for Marriage and Families, address the financial penalties associated with marriage, particularly the substantially higher penalties experienced by low-income couples as compared to non-poor couples. To alleviate this inequality – thereby making the social, emotional, and financial benefits of marriage available to all Americans – the authors propose that the government reimburse low-income couples for the exact amount of their marriage penalty through a tax credit. The authors describe the structures already in place to implement this approach, and also address potential challenges. Marriage and the Well-Being of African American Boys (November 2006) – In this research brief, the authors trace the history of barriers faced by young African-American men. They describe the impact that these barriers have made in the well-being of African-American men and boys in many areas. The authors then examine in detail the role of marriage and family structure, finding that “African-American boys do best when they live with two parents – especially their own two married parents.” Marital Status and Health: United States, 1999-2002 (December 2004) – This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report demonstrates that, across all population subgroups and all health indicators (including overall health, back pain, headaches, stress, smoking, leisure-time physical activity, and others), married adults were healthier than those in other marital status categories. The report is based on data from the National Health Interview Surveys. Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy 2006 Conference National Abstinence Education Grantees Conference Abstinence Education Evaluation Conference Abstinence Education Employment Opportunities (Columbus, OH) The Heritage Foundation's Top 10 Findings (November 2006) – This is a summary of 10 research findings demonstrating the importance of intact and supportive families in the lives of both children and parents. The findings impact academic achievement, sexual abstinence, substance abuse, relationship quality, psychological well-being, and domestic violence. Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student (November 2006, Penguin Group Publishing) – The author of this book, a psychiatrist at a major university’s counseling center, asserts that colleges encourage students to make healthy choices in all areas of their lives except sexuality. She describes in detail how universities fail to warn students about the dangers of sexual activity and how they often encourage "unrestrained sexual behavior." The author examines the short- and long-term impact of these messages on the physical and mental health of young adults.
Quote for the Day "Adolescents who did not make a private pledge to wait until they were older to have sexual intercourse were nearly two and a half times more likely to initiate sexual intercourse than those who had made a promise…Adolescents who received information on condoms were twice as likely to have participated in genital play, oral sex, and vaginal intercourse than those who had not received formal contraceptive education." (M. Bersamin et al., Promising to Wait: Virginity Pledges and Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 36:428-436, May 2005) |
ANNIE MILLER is an Abstinence Education Program Specialist for the U.S. Administration for Children and Families/Family and Youth Services Bureau. Ms. Miller joined the Administration in May 2005 with 12 years of experience in pioneering abstinence education programming. For 7 years she served as the Abstinence Program Director for the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. There she designed and supervised the implementation of a statewide program that provided abstinence education services and resources for all Wisconsin communities. Prior to that, Ms. Miller served as the Abstinence Program Director of a community-based organization in Madison, Wisconsin, where she designed and implemented an abstinence education program and served youth throughout Southern Wisconsin. Ms. Miller’s background and experience in secondary education started her on a lifelong path of working with teens and adolescents. Her passion is to address the heartfelt needs of today’s youth effectively, creatively, and with understanding.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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