U.S. Department of Health & Human Services |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, July 2, 2002 |
Contact: | HRSA Press Office (301) 443-3376 |
"Abstinence education programs create an environment within communities that supports teens in their decision to remain abstinent until marriage," Secretary Thompson said. "These grants will help communities develop programs that give teens the confidence and self-esteem to make good choices for themselves and their futures."
HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration released two types of Community-Based Abstinence Education Grants: three-year implementation grants and one-year planning grants. Forty implementation grants totaling $18.3 million, and 18 planning grants totaling almost $1.6 million, were awarded to public and private entities such as community-based and faith-based organizations, hospitals, health centers, school systems and other youth services agencies. The agency expects to announce the availability of another round of abstinence grants this fall.
Abstinence education interventions are designed to reduce the number of adolescents who have engaged in premarital sexual activity and, consequently, the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. All projects funded under the program must comply with the legislative definition of abstinence education in Section 510 of Title V of the Social Security Act.
A separate HHS entity, the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP), also released $7.8 million in grants for another 37 abstinence demonstration projects set to begin this month. These projects will be run by public and private agencies, universities, hospitals and faith-based organizations.
In addition, OAPP announced awards totaling $2.1 million for eight projects that provide education, health and social services to pregnant and parenting adolescents, along with their infants, family members and young fathers.
Tables of grantees and their awards are available at newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2002releases/abstinence.htm.
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