Abstinence News and Research

RSS

Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

Chronic use of nicotine can reinforce the rewarding effects of alcohol

When sober alcoholics are tempted to fall off the wagon, the same receptor is stimulated as is activated by nicotine in their brain.

2 Dec 2006

Some Christian conservatives calling on Congress to reduce funding for Global Fund because of condom promotion

Some leading Christian conservatives are calling on Congress to reduce U.S. funding allocations to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, saying that the Global Fund does not allocate adequate resources to faith-based programs and that it promotes condom use, the Boston Globe reports.

2 Dec 2006

Incoming Congress should enact legislation to reduce abortion rate

Although "[t]aking substantial steps to reduce the abortion rate will not settle the larger ethical argument over the practice," the "election of a new congressional majority" for the 110th Congress should "open the way for a better approach to the abortion question," Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a Post opinion piece.

23 Nov 2006

HIV/AIDS on the up all over the world

According to figures released ahead of World Aids Day on December 1, the spread of HIV/AIDS continues unabated across the globe.

23 Nov 2006

Vatican study on condom use - will it make any difference?

A study by the Vatican on the use of condoms has finally been concluded and is currently being examined by the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog.

21 Nov 2006

HIV prevention campaign promoting condom use among Chilean youth sparks debate among politicians, Catholic church

A new government-sponsored campaign in Chile promoting condom use among youth in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV in the country has "provoked the ire" of the Roman Catholic Church and some conservative political parties, the Miami Herald reports.

14 Nov 2006

Survey reveals Americans disagree with Bush's abstinence-only sex education programs

A new survey in the United States has revealed that the majority of American adults, regardless of their political affiliation, support a more balanced approach to sex education in schools.

7 Nov 2006

Teen births cost U.S. Government $9.1 billion in 2004

The U.S. government in 2004 incurred at least $9.1 billion in costs related to teen births, despite significant decreases in teen pregnancy and birth rates since the early 1990s, according to a report released on Monday by the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy, USA Today reports (Koch [1], USA Today, 10/30).

30 Oct 2006

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may lower risk of heart attack more so than not drinking at all

For men with healthy lifestyle habits, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack than drinking heavily or not drinking at all, according to a report in the October 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 Oct 2006

Fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa should focus more on blood safety

A renewed focus on unsafe blood transfusions and used syringes is needed to combat the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, Ambassador Mark Dybul -- who serves as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and administers the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- said on Wednesday during a visit to Zambia, Reuters reports.

19 Oct 2006

HHS should ensure abstinence education material used by Federal grantees contains accurate information on condoms, STIs

The Government Accountability Office's general council office on Wednesday released a legal opinion saying that under the Public Health Service Act, HHS should ensure abstinence education material prepared and used by groups receiving federal funding includes accurate information on sexually transmitted infections and the effectiveness of condoms, CQ HealthBeat reports.

19 Oct 2006

Boston Globe examines influence religious conservatives might have on USAID

The Boston Globe as part of a series examined the amount of influence religious conservatives might have on grants administered by USAID, including HIV prevention grants for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

16 Oct 2006

Debate between antiabortion, abortion-rights supporters now focusing on contraception

"If you're among the millions of Americans who don't like the idea of abortion but also don't like the idea of banning it, good news is on the way" in the form of two bills recently introduced in the House, William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate magazine, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

5 Oct 2006

Teenage birth rate in Alabama continues to decline

The number of births among teenage girls in Alabama declined in 2005 from the previous year, continuing a downward trend in the teen pregnancy rate over the last 10 years, according to a new report from the Alabama Department of Public Health's Center for Health Statistics, the Birmingham News reports.

5 Oct 2006

HIV prevalence in Ethiopia lower than expected

HIV prevalence in Ethiopia is lower than expected, according to results of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2005, which was at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, the Daily Monitor/AllAfrica.com reports.

26 Sep 2006

House Democrats introduce bill that aims to reduce unintended pregnancies, abortions

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who opposes abortion rights, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who supports abortion rights, and other House Democrats last Thursday at a press conference announced the introduction of legislation (HR 6067) that aims to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, Copley/Canton Repository reports.

18 Sep 2006

Thailand urges married couples to regularly test for HIV

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health is urging hospitals nationwide to encourage abstinence, faithfulness, condom use and regular HIV testing for married couples after the country recorded an increase in new HIV cases among married women, Sombat Tanprasertsuk -- director of the country's AIDS, Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Bureau -- said on Friday, the Bangkok Post reports.

13 Sep 2006

Md. County school system's revised condom demo video receives positive reviews

The Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools' revised condom demonstration video has received positive reviews from members of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum -- one of the groups involved in a lawsuit against the school system regarding the original video and sex education curriculum -- the Washington Post reports (Aratani, Washington Post, 9/12).

13 Sep 2006

Was the "ABC" approach responsible for Uganda's decline in HIV?

The much-publicized "ABC" approach to HIV prevention continues to be mired in controversy, partly because of its focus on abstinence-only sex education programs over condom promotion, a focus that pits political and religious conservatives against their liberal counterparts.

12 Sep 2006

Pregnancy centers opening near abortion clinics offer sonograms, other services to pregnant women

Some antiabortion groups in recent years have opened pregnancy counseling centers in or near facilities that provide abortions and are offering "medical services," including sonograms, to pregnant women who visit the centers, the Washington Post reports.

11 Sep 2006