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Shown to Reduce Teen Sex by 25%
Atlanta, September 25, 2024— Upon completion of its Teen Pregnancy Prevention Evidence Review (TPPER), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Choosing the Best would be placed on its list of Evidence-Based Programs for Teen Pregnancy Prevention.[i] A rigorous, independent study found that students receiving Choosing the Best were significantly — 25% — less likely to initiate sex versus students in the control group who did not receive the program, nine months after baseline (treatment).[ii]
The study — a cluster, randomized, controlled trial rated “high quality” by TPPER — evaluated 1,143 ninth graders. Students received the curriculum during regular high school health classes. According to Choosing the Best President and CEO Bruce Cook, “This study has the distinctive of being an authentic field study, showing significant decreases in the initiation of teen sex in an actual school setting, something very few programs can claim. These are realistic results which can be expected to be replicated in other schools that implement Choosing the Best.”
TPPER’s review criteria require programs to show evidence of at least one favorable, statistically significant impact on at least one outcome of interest reflecting sexual behavior (e.g., whether teens have ever had sex) or the consequences of sexual behavior (e.g. STIs, HIV, or pregnancy). Additionally, the supporting studies must meet established criteria for the quality and execution of their research designs. The study of Choosing the Best met all these criteria for evidence of effectiveness.[iii]
Choosing the Best offers four age-appropriate, abstinence-centered, sexual risk avoidance curricula for middle and high school students. All programs follow a similar, highly interactive format, covering core topics which include: the health benefits of delaying sexual activity (abstinence), healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, goal-setting and decision-making, sexual violence prevention, consent, STI education and prevention, risks of alcohol use, character building, boundary setting, and refusal skills. All programs also incorporate parent involvement into each lesson.
For more information, visit www.choosingthebest.com or call 1-800-774-2378 (BEST).