Louisiana: Abstinence Program Holds Mock Session in State Capitol

The Governor's Program on Abstinence (GPA) recently held its third mock legislative session in the House Chamber of the Louisiana State Capitol.

Gail Dingham, state coordinator and program director, said GPA aims to raise awareness of the problems associated with premarital sex, including STDs and out-of-wedlock births. Students taking part in the program sign a pledge to remain abstinent until they marry. GPA's programming includes a curriculum for middle schools, plus high school clubs, monthly meetings, newsletters, projects and interactive events, and conferences such as the one held in Baton Rouge, Dingham said.

St. Joseph Seminary College student Brad Doyle said many of the students involved in GPA come from backgrounds where abstinence is instilled as a value. "But something changes in high school. Even if you've been taught these values, friends become a bigger influence than family," he said. "We try to present hope, in a relevant way, that we can live this way."

For Louisiana State University freshman Caitlyn Turner, GPA was a refuge in high school. At a news conference at the capitol event, Turner said she entered high school with values that included not having sex before marriage. "I thought everybody felt that way," she said. However, she quickly found herself in the minority. "[GPA] was a safe haven for me," she said.

"These young people are creating their own peer group," said Dingham. "They answer to each other. They're growing up, dating each other, and even some have gotten married. We didn't expect that."

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