"Essentially we found that kids who attend these programs are no more likely to abstain from having sex before marriage," said Ken Fortson, co-author of the study.,”

Students who participate in abstinence-until-marriage education programs are just as likely to engage in premarital sex as students who do not participate in such programs, according to a study released this month.

"Essentially we found that kids who attend these programs are no more likely to abstain from having sex before marriage," said Ken Fortson, co-author of the study.

The study, "Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs," found that targeting middle school students may focus on the wrong age group. Abstinence education encourages students to wait until marriage to have sex, emphasizing consequences such as STDs or pregnancy.

The federally mandated study, by Princeton, N.J.-based Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., was conducted over nine years and reviewed the effectiveness of four abstinence education programs in Milwaukee, Miami, Powhatan, Va. and Clarksdale, Miss. Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 middle school and high school students – both enrolled and not enrolled in abstinence programs – four to six years after they joined the study.

The study said most sexually active young people start having sex in high school. Researchers suggested that continuing abstinence education in high school may be more effective.

"We learned from the study that there are probably some topics middle schools aren't ready for," said Al Castro, executive director of Rosalie Manor Community and Family Services, where the Milwaukee program is based.

"It's different because it involves parents and caregivers," Castro said. "It's not just a kid going to a class."

The Milwaukee program, Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, is run in four schools – both parochial and public – and one community center. During the school year, the program meets three to four times per week after school and periodically holds parent seminars.

The program is voluntary and Castro estimated that in all its different forms – one-time presentations, school year and summer programs – FUPTP draws between 800 and 1,000 middle school students each year.

He added that since the study began in 1999, FUPTP has adjusted its curriculum to the suggestions the study made.

Mark Johnson, an associate professor of theology and Catholic ethics expert at Marquette, said he wasn't surprised by the study's findings.

"These programs are talking to a group that is least likely to plan ahead," Johnson said.

Part of the reason FUPTP targets middle school students is the organization is not currently federally funded to implement high school programs.

"You have to do what the funders tell you," Castro said.

Castro also said it takes about $900,000 to run FUPTP each year, but the organization only receives around $780,000 in federal funds annually. FUPTP and Rosalie Manor fill the gap by doing their own fundraisers and grant writing.

Johnson said a problem faced by abstinence programs based in the public realm is that instructors can't bring God or religion into the mix.

"You can't say 'This is what God says' or 'This is what our religion says,'" Johnson said. "You can't use religious argument or religious authority."

Johnson also said making abstinence education more effective is a difficult task, even when it's faith-based, simply because of the age group these programs are preaching to.

"The very things abstinence prepares students for (marriage and adult life) are the very things they aren't interested in," Johnson said.

Castro said to be more effective, his program involves parents and addresses other life issues facing adolescents such as drug and alcohol use.

"It's not just about abstinence from sex. If we focus on just that, kids don't come out with life skills," Castro said. "They need to be able to make healthier choices when dealing with high-risk behaviors. They need adult leadership and ongoing reinforcement."

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