This act provides funds for over 900 programs across the nation. Annual award amounts vary widely from state to state ranging from $50,000 to $800,000. States have awarded grants to community based organizations, local school districts, health departments, faith based organizations, universities and others. The funding guidelines encourage states to fund grantees efforts directed at local priority needs. Local grantees use funds for community based projects, as well as for evaluation and program monitoring, technical assistance training, media campaigns, advisory councils, resource and communication networks, toll free hotlines and satellite conferences.

Most of these programs aim their message at middle school students. Some target a wider audience starting younger and longer.

The three research questions addressed by this study are:

• What are the nature and underlying theories of the abstinence education programs supported with Section 510 funding?
• What are the implementation and operational experiences of local communities and schools that have received Section 510 abstinence education funding?
• What are the impacts of abstinence education programs?
  • How successful are they in changing the knowledge, attitudes, and intentions of youth?
  • How successful are they in reducing teen sexual activity among youth?
  • How do they change the risk of pregnancy and STDs?

The “A-H definition” (Title V Section 510 (b)(2)(A-H) of the Social Security Act), specifies that an abstinence education program funded under the block grant must:
A Have as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity
B Teach abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school-age children
C Teach that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems
D Teach that a mutually faithful, monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity
E Teach that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects
F Teach that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society
G Teach young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances
H Teach the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.