Who could have predicted that a "virginity pledge" would actually increase a teenager's likelihood of sexual activity? Supporters of safe sex education have advocated this point as a reason to stop abstinence only eduction.
A recent study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded that, "Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence". Further, "the percentage who took precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points lower for pledgers than for non-pledgers".
So, taking a virginity pledge, a promise to abstain form sex, is less effective in preventing pre-marital sex and also reduces the likelihood that a teen would use protection. The leader of the study also concluded that the commitment to abstain from sex until marriage is an internal decision and can not be made based on participation in a program. This may also be true then for promises based on religious beliefs. The decision to abstain from sex must be a value that the individual holds and not something that they are coerced into promising.
The federal government fund abstinence only education to the tune of $176 million per year. This study points out that our tax dollars could be better spent on programs such as safe sex education that are more effective. An effective sex education program would have two sides. First, the program should teach the ideals of abstinence, which teach a teen that they should wait for the right partner. The program should also teach safe sex practices such as condoms and birth control.
Parents and educators need to recognize that teens, given the opportunity and the desire, to have sex can and will do so, regardless of any promise they have made. It is wise for parents to teach their children how to reduce the risks that come with being sexually active and that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and the spread of STDs.
The study's leader stated that abstinence only education increases a teens negativity towards the use of condoms. The risks of condom usage should be thoroughly explained so that teens understand that condom usage is not 100% effective.
To sum up the study, the more information that we give teens, as parents and educators, they will have more knowledge to make an educated decision about sex. Some teens will still decide not to have sex, but those who do will have the information to effectively protect themselves.
