Abstinence Day on the Hill

Kisa Smith /

Spring has sprung in Washington, DC, and while many buses line the streets packed with students touring the National Monuments, another group of students came to Washington this week for a different purpose: To tell policymakers about the impact that abstinence education has had in their lives.

This year’s annual Abstinence Day on the Hill was of particular significance because of recent studies that suggest abstinence education could delay sexual activity in teenagers.

In a study evaluating the effectiveness of abstinence-based programs, researchers found that from a total of 22 studies reviewed, 17 studies reported statistically significant positive results in delaying sexual activity among adolescents.

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