Poll: Young
adults support abstinence programs

A new Harris Poll shows that a majority of young Americans ages 18 to 29 support abstinence education to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and to avoid pregnancy, The Washington Times reports. The national poll included nearly 2,000 respondents. Sixty percent of those between the ages of 25 and 29 said they believed abstinence education is effective in preventing HIV infections; 56% of respondents ages 18 to 24 believed so. About half of all respondents thought abstinence education was effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies. Older survey respondents were much less supportive of abstinence education: 43% of those ages 30-39, 41% of those ages 40-49, 37% of those ages 50-64, and 31% of those over age 65 felt abstinence education was effective in preventing HIV and STDs. (Advocate.com)