Study: 'Virginity Pledges' Are Ineffective

According to a study released earlier today, teenagers who have taken a "virginity pledge" are still just as likely to engage in premarital sex than those who have not pledged their abstinence. But worse than that, the study found that those same abstinence-swearing teenagers are far less likely to use a form of birth control - condoms, etc - when they do become sexually active.

The new analysis of data from a large federal survey found that more than half of youths became sexually active before marriage regardless of whether they had taken a "virginity pledge," but that the percentage who took precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points lower for pledgers than for non-pledgers.

"Taking a pledge doesn't seem to make any difference at all in any sexual behavior," said Janet E. Rosenbaum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose report appears in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics. "But it does seem to make a difference in condom use and other forms of birth control that is quite striking."

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Comments

[VirginiaJeff]

Supposedly, it's in our genes (especially male genes) to commit adultery, despite any pledge we make at the alter. The statistics certainly bear that out. So why don't we go ahead and make that easier, too?

No, pledges alone don't work. But that doesn't mean we should give ourselves and our children over to learning the best methods for avoiding the RESULTS of wrong behavior. Instead, we should resolve to learn what it takes to avoid opportunities for wrong behavior, and teach this to our children. If you don't think adultery can successfully be avoided, fine. But if you do think it's avoidable, then there's no reason to think pre-marital sex can be avoided as well.

[VirginiaJeff]

Sorry, typing on my part. The last sentence should read: "But if you do think it's avoidable, then there's no reason to think pre-marital sex can't be avoided as well."

[klmebane]

first of all, as for avoiding the consequences of "wrong behavior," are you saying that babies are a punishment? i thought they were supposed to be a blessing. also, what about the 45 year old who chooses that time in their life to get married? do you really expect them to still be a virgin? they may not have met the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, but chances are they HAVE dated.

[LDS50]

Whoa, good idea. Let's try real hard to "learn" how to keep teenagers from having sex. Pledges and "abstinence" education didn't work. What's next, the iron maiden? Come on, people can't control their own kids (see Sarah Palin). How on earth can you "learn" to control everyone's kids?

If a grown man or woman commits adultery, they must live with the consequences. That is their guide. Teenagers know the consequences of unprotected sex very well and yet it still happens. Let's just get over ourselves and give them the information they need to prevent it from becoming a life changing event for them and an innocent child.

[citizensrus]

When the result is an STD or a teenage pregnancy.­.YES, I want my child to know what he or she can do to prevent the RESULT of "wrong behavior". I want to protect them. I certainly can think of nothing more painful than seeing a teenager barely out of childhood with the prospect of being a parent or with AIDS or other STD. Prevent the consequence of premarital sex ..YOU BETCHA!

[aspertame2]

Good luck to the Palins and Johnstons of the world who expect that "just say no" is the best way to stop their kids from seriously ruining their health, lives, future. It would be laughable if these parents weren't making their own kids pay for their pious ignorance and - in many cases - hypocrisy.

I'm tired of the pious refusing to acknowledge how badly their theories play out, or the value of protecting young lives in total over the long haul, over just protecting virtue. How many cases of cervical cancer, how many abused, unplanned-for children, how many promising young lives spiraling into shame and lost opportunities and hopelessness, before we "get" that holy un-despoiled virtue as a good surpassing all others is every bit as creepy as the permissive, sexually precocious youth culture that many secular heathens (like me) hate as much as the evangelicals do.

Easier to preach and to and demand an _oath_, than to pay attention to the kids you yourself chose to have, every day.

[JustMyWords]

You could have stopped with "pledges alone don't work." The problem is, these ridiculous purity pledges have become a replacement for actual knowledge. Why, our children don't need birth control, they took a pledge! They don't need to know about sex, they took a pledge! STDs? Not a problem, we've got a pledge!

For roughly the 8 millionth time - abstinence only programs ARE NOT EFFECTIVE. All the wishing and hoping and fantasies about how all these great kids are just saying no are just that - fantasies. It's time to quit betting our children's lives on them.

[marleysghost]

Wishful thinking and ignorance lead to pregnancy in sexual activity. Any adult who thinks that a pledge is a guarantee against the sex drive in young people should have his or her head examined, and then forced to reveal when they became sexually active with or without their parents consent. Why, we could
devote a whole reality television program to it and never run out of material.

[L3ftofC3nter]

They don't work?? No s h i t!

[Kiba]

My own virginity pledge worked out just fine. Once I hit puberty I swore I'd lose my virginity just as quick as I could.

[Phoebe917]

ROFLMAO!!! me too, the more the merrier. bring 'em all on. (just kidding) :)

[DarkWitch]

ditto ;)

[lvdragonlady]

And this is a surprise to all of us that survived our teens?
hahahahaha

[citizensrus]

Wanted: A better pledge. Maybe a pledge to use safe sex? A pledge to confide in an adult who will not judge you and whom you trust. Like your doctor? Open for suggestions.

[bjefrz]

Wow - that is a GREAT suggestion! A pledge to engage in responsible behavior. Followed up with a discussion about what is responsible. Followed with information about exactly how to do those responsible behaviors. (e.g. this kind of birth control, that kind of std control, information about what consent means... etc).

[rshrink]

While it was very well known prior to Reagan and the conservative assault how to help young people make responsible decisions, there has been quite an effort to ignore research, in favor of advocating simply what people want to believe. This was the mainstay of operations for the Bush administration. Sadly, so many years have been wasted and lives adversely impacted by belief policies. Hopefully, now we can get back to what actually works.

[citizensrus]

What I have against "virginity pledges" is that it is degrading to women. It implies that what makes them special is their "virginity". Then how does the poor girl who was molested, date raped, or a victim of some sort of sexual assault view herself? If she was molested prior to puberty (and this happens), she sees herself as damaged goods..and hides herself along with her "shameful secret". Maybe, she won't tell what happened to maintain her purity in the eyes of her parents. If this happens after a "virginity pledge" , the same thing happens. Shh. SECRET. SHAME. feelings of inadequacy and failure. She may not report a date rape. And she views herself as damaged goods. I resent the whole contrived false reality of "virginity pledges".

[Jetling]

What it teaches kids is how to effectively placate people.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Shocked...­. SHOCKED!!

[ThirdSection]

And this is how Palins breed.

[BartLA]

How long until Bristol is pregnant once again? And what about the other Palin girls?

http://thebruceblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/how-long-till-bristol-becomes-pregnant-again-place-your-bet/

[bud812]

My grandparents were married and had children way before they were even adults this is human nature,parents do your best to stem the activity but understand its nature!

[indiamerican]

The way to promote virginity among teenagers is for parents to be more involved in monitoring and participating in their lives. Bristol Palin's pregnancy is a good example of that. Sarah Palin and her first dude were probably too busy with the rest of their lives to pay attention to the Bristol's life. Also having many children will dilute the parental attention on the individual child. Children cannot be allowed to control too many aspects of their lives because animal instincts will take over and they will make poor decisions. There is enough scientific evidence out there that most teenagers cannot handle alcohol or drive due to delayed maturity of their frontal brain. The same rules apply to sex. Given that so many children grow up in broken families, or overly busy families, contraception education is a must to prevented unwanted pregnancies. There are studies in university campuses that show the greatest number of virgins are among the doctoral and post doc students. When the young person's focus is on other things, sex for sex sake becomes less important.

[VirginiaJeff]

indiamerican - I agree with you. Of course pledges do no good -- if one's behaviors aren't modified. The answer isn't (as so many claim) to simply assume our kids are going to have pre-maritial sex. The answer is to be involved with our kids enough to help them avoid putting themselves in positions where temptation can can break down your resolve. The failure to avoid temptation, as opposed to merely resisting it, is one reason why so many married adults commit adultery. Whether you're a teenager or a married man/woman in your 40s, you're setting yourself up for failure if you act like boundaries and accountability aren't necessary for you.

[citizensrus]

The only way to promote virginity is fear of hellfire. But, they will reject all religions once they figure out this was used to control them.

[bknott]

Per the abstinence rep: "Abstinence education programs provide accurate information on the level of protection offered through the typical use of condoms and contraception,"

Not if their information is as bad as the info they gave me at my Catholic CYO classes in high school. They would send in a nice couple to talk about the glories of Natual Family Planning and to scare us all about the pill. I remember them telling us that the pill caused miscarriages and sterilization.

I can imagine that when they talk about condoms, it's 10% accurate info, and 90% scare tactics about condom breakage.

[klmebane]

how many kids did that natural family planning couple end up with? lol.

[Susej]

I have a fantasy of sleeping with a nun.
I met one a couple of weeks ago and we had an "innocent" chit-chat. She invited me to her coven for an 'in depth" discussion about religion all all.
I plan on taking her out, soften her out a bit then "CUT!"

[DarkWitch]

Since when do nuns hang out in covens.