Initial findings of a 5-year project examining the effectiveness of a sexual abstinence education program in grades 5-8 are reported. Following implementation of the "Sex Can Wait (SCW)" program, differences between the "SCW" group and a comparison group favored "SCW" on knowledge, positive attitudes towards abstinence, intentions to be sexually abstinent, and comfort in talking with parents about sex. Notable features of the overall study include the use of a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group as well as 12-24 month follow-up and behavioral analyses to be reported subsequently. (Contains 7 tables.)