Summer of Abstinence
Thirty years ago we experienced the “Summer of Love”, but many of today’s teens are leaning towards “pure love”. They have begun to promote abstinence in direct opposition to peer pressure that promotes having sex. Jim, 16, “I don’t really see a lot of abstinence in my school, but I want to make a change. When I go back there I’m gonna start spreading the word around you know.”
Experts say the message is already getting around. According to the Medical Institute, an estimated fifty percent of high school students have not had sex, and the number is rising. The CDC reports that of teens who have had intercourse, at least one time, approximately 25 percent are currently abstinent. Many teens say that practicing abstinence is hard at first. “In a sense it was, but in another sense it was very easy,” says nineteen year old Margaret. “...If you live a pure lifestyle, you get so many more benefits.”
Although positive peer pressure may be the best way to fight teen sex, experts say that parents play a key role too. “You definitely want your child to know what your values are, and you can say what your values are…”, says Dr. Bob Kleemeier, psychologist.
What Parents Should Know
There is a lot of sex education information available for young people about how to avoid pregnancy with condoms and pills. What is not talked about a lot is the emotional strain that can go along with having sex at an early age.
“The Neglected Heart: The Emotional Dangers of Premature Sexual Involvement” is an article written by Thomas Lickona, an advisory board member for the National Abstinence Clearing House. In the article, Lickona lists 10 negative emotional effects of sex at an early age along with examples and stories for each.
- Worry about pregnancy and AIDS
- Regret and self-recrimination
- Guilt
- Loss of self-respect and self-esteem
- The corruption of character and the debasement of sex
- Shaken trust and fear of commitment
- Rage over betrayal
- Depression and suicide
- Ruined relationships
- Stunting personal development
The article gives an insightful look at these emotional effects and can be viewed on the web at www.abstinence.net.
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“...If you live a pure lifestyle you get so many more benefits.” --Margaret, Age 19 |
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Abstinence Partnerships In 1998 Michigan celebrated the fifth year of its Abstinence Partnership program. Since the program began the number of “teen births plunged by 16.6%… (and the decrease) was greater than 46 other states,” according to Michigan’s governor, John Engler. The program has distributed educational materials to over 500,000 young people since 1993. There are several other programs that are government sponsored, educationally based or part of religious ministries. Most of these groups offer educational material that include brochures, books, and videotapes, as well as information available on web sites. (See “Additional Resources” listed below) |
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"No Sex" Terms Secondary virginity: the concept that promotes stopping sexual activity, and perhaps delaying it until marriage. True abstinence: the practice of avoiding all genital contact until marriage Chastity: The quality of being pure by not engaging in sexual intercourse; typically religious based |
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Resources
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1) Friends First For
more information on |