Two New Studies Say Abstinence Education Works

A study released June 14 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and completed by a contract with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., reveals that abstinence education works. According to the interim report, teens who participated in abstinence programs had an increased awareness of the potential consequences of sexual activity before marriage, thought more highly of abstinence, and had less favorable opinions about sexual activity before marriage than did students who were not in abstinence programs.

The HHS study complements one released in June by the Heritage Foundation on the effectiveness of abstinence pledges in helping students maintain sexual chastity. That study demonstrates that students who take such pledges decrease their likelihood of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease and are less prone to engage in any form of sexual activity.

In related news, a handful of Comcast cable television networks have said that an advertisement urging teens to abstain from sex is not appropriate for younger viewers and won’t be aired on several channels geared to younger viewers in southeastern Massachusetts.

(EP News)

Gay Marriage Battle Intensifies In Canada

Members of the Canadian Parliament are preparing for a fight over a bill to legalize same-sex marriage proposed by the government and the ruling Liberal Party. Action on Bill C-38 could come this summer.

Some members of Parliament are rethinking their positions after Parliament Hill was bombarded with faxes, e-mails, and telephone calls of pro-family Canadians who support true marriage.

(Pete Winn, CitizenLink/EP News)

Kentucky Judge Sentences Offenders to Church

A Laurel County, Ky., judge offers some drug and alcohol offenders the option of going to church instead of jail or rehab. District Judge Michael Caperton said he thinks church attendance could help some young offenders.

The American Civil Liberties Union has objected to the practice, but Caperton, a district judge since 1994, has offered the option about 50 times to repeat drug and alcohol offenders in Laurel and Knox counties since earlier this spring. He has limited it to defendants with misdemeanor public intoxication or drug-possession charges. The results are not yet in, since the first offenders to get the option won’t be back in court for follow-up until July. But if the program works, it could be a significant incentive for minor offenders. A 30-day treatment program can cost offending clients up to $2,800.

(EP News)

Study Finds G-Rated Movies More Profitable Than R-Rated Movies

A study released June 7 by the Dove Foundation found that the average G-rated movie was 11 times more profitable than its R-rated counterpart. The average G-rated movie earned a $79 million profit, while the average R-rated film earned only $6.9 million, the study says.

(EP News)