There is no evidence that promoting sexual abstinence and marital fidelity are successful strategies in reducing the risk of HIV infection, according to a new study published in Health Affairs.
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — an initiative with a cumulative investment of $1.4 billion between 2004 and 2013 — has devoted substantial resources to abstinence programs in sub-Saharan Africa. For the study, researchers examined nationally representative surveys from 500,000 individuals taken across 22 nations to assess the rates of risky sexual behavior in countries that received funding for PEPFAR abstinence programs and those that did not. The analysis revealed that PEPFAR abstinence programs displayed no association with reductions in risky sexual behavior.
"We did not detect any effect of PEPFAR funding on the number of sexual partners or upon the age of sexual intercourse. And we did not detect any effect on the proportion of teen pregnancy," said Nathan Lo, an MD/PhD student at Stanford (Calif.) University and lead author of the study.
The researchers conclude that the approximately $50 million in funds dedicated annually to these abstinence programs should be devoted to programs with proven efficacy.
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