States' implementation of the section 510 abstinence education program, FY1999

Context: As part of its reworking of the nation's welfare system in 1996, C ongress enacted a major new abstinence education initiative (Section 510 of Title V of the Social Security Act), projected to spend $87.5 million in f ederal, state and local funds per year for five years. The new program is d esigned to emphasize abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage, a t any age, rather than premarital abstinence for adolescents, which was typ ical of earlier efforts. The actual message and impact of the program, howe ver, will depend on how it is implemented. Methods: Program coordinators in aff 50 states, the District of Columbia an d Puerto Rico were surveyed concerning implementation of the Section 510 ab stinence education program in FY 1999. The questionnaire asked about expend itures and activities performed, about policies established for a variety o f specific situations and about how the term "sexual activity" is defined a nd what specific components of the federal definition of "abstinence educat ion" are emphasized. Results: Forty-five jurisdictions spent a total of $69 million through the Section 510 program in FY 1999. Of this total, $33 million was spent throug h public entities, $28 million was spent through private entities and $7 mi llion (in 22 jurisdictions) was spent through faith-based entities. Almost all jurisdictions reported funding school-related activities, with 38 repor ting in-school instruction and presentations. Twenty-eight jurisdictions pr ohibited organizations from providing information about contraception (asid e from failure rates), even at a client's request, while only six jurisdict ions prohibited information about sexually transmitted diseases. Few report ed having a policy or rendering guidance about providing services addressin g sexual abuse, sexual orientation or existing pregnancy and parenthood. On ly six respondents said they defined "sexual activity" for purposes of the program, and 16 reported focusing on specific portions of the federal defin ition of "abstinence education." Conclusions: More than one in TO Section 510 dollars were spent through fai th-based entitles. Programs commonly conducted in-school activities, partic ularly instruction and presentations, not only through public entities, but also through private and faith-based entities. Most jurisdictions prohibit ed the provision of information about contraception, about providers of con traceptive services or about both topics, even in response to a direct ques tion and when using other sources of funding. Most also left definitions of "abstinence" and "sexual activity" as local decisions, thus not clearly ar ticulating what the program is designed to encourage clients to abstain fro m.