Most HHS-funded abstinence-until-marriage education programs -- which receive about $158 million federal funding annually -- are not reviewed for scientific accuracy before they are granted funding, according to a report released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (Bridges, AP/International Herald Tribune, 11/16). "Efforts by HHS and states to assess the scientific accuracy of materials used in abstinence-until-marriage education programs have been limited," the GAO report states, adding, "This is because HHS's [Administration for Children and Families] -- which awards grants to two programs that account for the largest portion of federal spending on abstinence-until-marriage education -- does not review its grantees' education materials for scientific accuracy and does not require grantees of either program to review their own materials for scientific accuracy" (GAO report, October 2006). GAO auditors contacted 10 states that receive funding from ACF for their abstinence-until-marriage programs and found that only five of the states reviewed the programs for scientifically accurate data on contraception, sexually transmitted infections and other information. HHS' Office of Population Affairs, which also provides money for such programs, does review the materials, the report found. The report also found that most state and federal efforts to asses the effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage education programs "do not meet the minimum scientific standards" that experts say are necessary to be scientifically valid (AP/International Herald Tribune, 11/16). Some state health officials in responses submitted to GAO questioned the definition of "scientific accuracy"; however, they said they would consider requiring grant applicants to provide written statements that the information they distribute is scientifically accurate, the AP/West Fargo Pioneer reports (AP/West Fargo Pioneer, 11/16). The GAO report also says two uncompleted HHS-funded studies "that meet the criteria of a scientifically valid assessment" might "add substantively to the body of research on the effectiveness of abstinence-until-marriage education programs" (GAO report, October 2006).