abstinence

Sam Nugraha, who himself was once addicted to heroin, started a rehab center in Indonesia with a different philosophy from those government dried up — but then a new opportunity opened up.

Health & Safety

Whatever happened to the Indonesian rehab that didn't insist on abstinence?

3:58pm September 07, 2022

by Julia Simon

The center was founded by Sam Nugraha, who himself had once been addicted to heroin. NPR's coverage a couple of years ago led to a life-changing turn of events for Nugraha.

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In the U.S., the average age for initiating sexual activity has remained around 17 or 18 since the early 1990s, even as people have begun marrying later in life.

Abstinence Education Is Ineffective And Unethical, Report Argues

8:41pm August 23, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

Researchers say that programs advocating abstinence until marriage fail to get teens to delay sexual activity and also prevent them from getting important information about pregnancy and STDs.

Chester with Ivory (left), 11, Skylar (right), 12, and Kameron (center), 21 months.

In Texas, Abstinence-Only Programs May Contribute To Teen Pregnancies

12:23pm June 05, 2017

by Lauren Silverman

Teenage pregnancy rates have declined across the country, but some parts of Texas have made much less progress on that. Abstinence-only sex ed policies may be one reason why.

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A billboard asks Ugandans to abstain from sex until marriage. The photo was taken in 2005 in Kampala.

U.S. Spent $1.4 Billion To Stop HIV By Promoting Abstinence. Did It Work?

2:42pm May 04, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The money was part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It went to sex ed classes and public health messages in Africa. Effective or not? A new study offers a clear verdict.

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