Report: 'Best Friends' cuts risky behavior

Published: April 28, 2005 at 9:01 AM

WASHINGTON, April 28 (UPI) -- Study results indicate girls in the U.S. Best Friends abstinence program are much less likely to have premarital sex, smoke or use drugs.

Study author Robert Lerner told The Washington Times Best Friends participants of high school age were 100 times less likely to engage in premarital sex than their peers outside the program.

Lerner said he compared data from 2,700 Best Friends participants and data from the federal Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.

Best Friends members were about 120 times less likely to have premarital sex, 26 times less likely to use illegal drugs, nine times less likely to smoke and three times more likely not to use alcohol, the Times said.

The Best Friends program, the group's Web site says, is a "school-based character-building program for girls" in sixth grade through high school. It supports "abstinence-only" ideals and does not teach its participants about contraception.

The study appeared in Adolescent and Family Health, a publication of the Institute for Youth Development.

© 2005 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
The almanac (18 min)
Empty Nest: If it's Tuesday it's NoHo
Fed presidents says zero interest needed
NHL: San Jose 4, Nashville 3
Hamburg reassures doctors on H1N1 vaccine
NBA: Sacramento 101, Oklahoma City 98
AMA body calls for medical pot review
fark
Man threatens 9-year old girls with a nail-gun unless they play 'spin-the-bottle' with him. Prosecutor:...
If you're in Brazil and can read this, congratulations, you're not in the half of that country that's...
United Airlines pilot E. Vermont Washington charged with being in a drunken state (or two) at Heathrow...
Middle school food fight leads to 25 arrests. FOOD FIGHT
High Fructose Corn Syrup raises hypertension risk 87%. Put down the Mountain Dew and back away slowly...
News: Man robs home. Fark: He leaves behind part of his nose