PA Abstinence Education and Related Services (AERS) Initiative Evaluation
Under a grant from the Center for Schools and Communities and the PA Department of Health, Edward Smith, DrPH, conducted an evaluation of a state wide initiative to prevent teen pregnancy. The AERS initiative originated under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 which provides $50 million a year for 5 years for states to fund abstinence-only teen pregnancy prevention programs (see legislation text ). Pennsylvania is currently funding 24 different programs around the state that include school wide curricula, after-school community based programs, and summer camp programs. They incorporate a broad range of youth development skills into the abstinence message, such as refusal skills, decision making, goal setting and career development, communication skills, conflict management, etc. Dr. Smith conducted both formative and impact evaluations to (1) understand what, if any, impacts these programs are having on adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors, and (2) understand through what mechanisms these programs are helping youth remain abstinent.