The Problem With Promise Rings, Virginity Pledges and Purity Balls
Friday January 9, 2009
Many teenage girls proudly wear a "promise ring" -- a tangible symbol that they've taken a virginity pledge and vowed to abstain from sex until after marriage. The promise ring is given to them by their parents to remind them of their pledge. Sounds like a nice idea, right?
Perhaps not if you consider the findings of a new study which reveals that those who take the virginity pledge are not only just as likely to engage in premarital sex as the average teen, but are also significantly less likely to use condoms or other forms of protection. As reporter Rob Stein noted in the December 29, 2008 issue of the Washington Post:
[A]ccording to a study released today.... [t]he 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.What does this say about the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education programs? The blog Perrspectives goes into great detail citing studies and statistics that indicate they simply don't work. In conclusion, founder/editor Jon Perr observes:"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."
[The] findings from Johns Hopkins can't be good news for all those fathers who took their hopefully chaste daughters to so-called "purity balls." As the numbers suggest, these elaborate rituals and solemn pledges ultimately will fail father and daughter alike.Related article: Teen Births Are On the Rise After Years of Decline
Comments
I think Bill Maher summed this all up wonderfully…
“New Rule: Abstinence pledges make you horny. A new eight-year study just released reveals that American teenagers who take “virginity” pledges of the sort so favored by the Bush administration wind up with just as many STDs as the other kids.
But that’s not all — taking the pledges also makes a teenage girl six times more likely to perform oral sex, and a boy four times more likely to get anal. Which leads me to an important question: where were these pledges when I was in high school … Is there any greater irony than the fact that the Christian Right actually got their precious little adolescent daughters to say to their freshly scrubbed boyfriends: “Please, I want to remain pure for my wedding night, so only in the @$$. Then I’ll &%$# you.” Well, at least these kids are really thinking outside the box.”
that is so untrue who ever wrote this is well never mind what you are but what you need is a brain transplant
In a world where a written contract or hand shake is worthless, why expect teen girls or young adults to make a Purity + Virginity promise and live up to it. Daaaaaaaaaa yeaa.
Our leaders failed to lead wayyyyyyy back in the 60’s and now we inherit Babiessssss by the millions and unwanted.
Great Future
Bill
I’m probably one of the few people who actually didn’t have sex until I got married and I didn’t have to wear some stupid purity ring. My parents, particularly my mom, did her job and talked to me about the realities of teen sex and the physical and emotional implications. She told me it wouldn’t be easy and I thank her for that. I think parents who make their daughters wear rings and have balls think that they don’t have to teach their kids about sex, which leads to them wanting it more. I also saw some of the things that happened to my fellow female classmates in high school and decided to wait.
MY 16 YR OLD SISTER IS GETTING A PROMISE RING AND OUR MOM IS GETTING ME ONE TO SO SHE ALREADY TALKED TO US ABOUT SEX ANDWE ARE THE ONES WHO WANTS TO GET PROMISE RINGS
First of all, sexuality is a blessing and second kids who are responsible and take precautions should be the only ones engaging in sex, not irresponsible teens. I don’t believe in abortion but it happens despite the fact. 1.pull yourself together 2. ask advice3. and remember even though you didn’t plan a child blessings happen for a reason. Every child is ablessing even if it is to a teen mom or dad.
So everybody quit villianizing good , hard working teen parents. You are not their judge.
Sex is not evil folks . it is a blessing to. who said sex has harmful spsychological repercussions for some folks yes that maybe true. but not a some of people.
I’m not a hypocrit . I just am realistic abotu kids and sex and truly believe in the responsibility of sex and what it entails in reality.
most kids won’t wait. They may say so but the truth is most likey not.(sorry parents) I agree there are probably a some who shouldn’t
my cousin was 17 when he became a da. He is a proud and happy father and the best day of his life was his son’s birth. Nothing is better than being a dad. He took control of life , and was responsible for the pregnancy and doesn’t regret being a dad one bit even if it was at 17. He wouldn’t have had his magnificient son.
Be responsible for actions and possible consequences!:)
hi, i was chaste until i got married. we got married when i was 18. it was the worst decision of my life… (more does not need to be said here.) And the hardest part was, is that I didnt even know it until I was suddenly left without a home, separated from my children, and forced to wake up to protect my own sanity.
this purity trend is bulls***
protect your own minds and your own personal creative freedom. having no sex doesn’t mean you are pure, just as much as having sex doesn’t means you are not pure.
this is really serious, please take it seriously
best nasa