Abstinence programs fail to cut HIV risk

OXFORD, England, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Programs that exclusively encourage abstinence from sex do not seem to affect the risk of HIV infection in high-income countries, finds a British review.

University of Oxford researchers reviewed 13 trials involving more than 15,000 U.S. youths to assess the effects of abstinence-only programs by measuring self-reported biological and behavioral outcomes such as sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy, frequency of unprotected sex, number of partners and sexual initiation.

Compared with various controls, no abstinence-only program had a beneficial effect on incidence of unprotected vaginal sex, number of partners, condom use, sexual initiation, incidence of pregnancy or incidence of sexually transmitted infection, finds a review published in the British Medical Journal.

The results also suggest that abstinence-only programs did not increase primary abstinence or secondary abstinence -- decreased incidence and frequency of recent sex, the researchers say.

Currently, 33 percent of HIV prevention funds from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief are used for abstinence-only programs.