---
title: "Could Draw the Line/Respect the Line be considered an \"Abstinence Only\" program?"
description: The short answer is no. Draw the Line emphasizes abstinence, but not to the exclusion of mentioning condoms or other forms of protection.
---

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# Could Draw the Line/Respect the Line be considered an "Abstinence Only" program?

## The short answer is no. Draw the Line emphasizes abstinence, but not to the exclusion of mentioning condoms or other forms of protection.

The *Draw the Line/Respect the Line* curriculum is based on the principle that not having sexual intercourse is the healthiest sexual limit for students in middle school. However, while it is certainly abstinence-based, it is not an “abstinence-only” program in full accordance with the federal A–H Guidelines.

The Grade 6 emphasis is on non-sexual situations in which youth may experience pressure, for example, to steal, use alcohol or smoke, and the lessons feature limit setting and refusal skills in these contexts. At Grades 7 and 8, the curriculum’s main focus is on limit setting and refusal skills to avoid HIV/STI and pregnancy. While abstinence is presented as the best choice for teens, protection methods are also mentioned in Grade 7 and explored in more detail in Grade 8, which also includes a lesson on condoms and a condom demonstration. Eliminating the discussion of condoms and other protection methods would be a red-light adaptation that would compromise the evidence base of the program.

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