Abstinence pledge loophole or Kids will be kids

[Charlie P]

I'm sure sounded like a good thing when it was thought up, but I'm not shocked. Guess there still techinically Virgins at marrige.

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) -- Teens who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are more likely to take chances with other kinds of sex that increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, a study of 12,000 adolescents suggests.

The report by Yale and Columbia University researchers could help explain their earlier findings that teens who pledged abstinence are just as likely to have STDs as their peers.

The latest study, published in the April issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that teens pledging virginity until marriage are more likely to have oral and anal sex than other teens who have not had intercourse. That behavior, however, "puts you at risk," said Hannah Brueckner, assistant professor of sociology at Yale and one of the study's authors.

Among virgins, boys who have pledged abstinence were four times more likely to have had anal sex than teens who have remained abstinent but not as part of a pledge, according to the study. Overall, pledgers were six times more likely to have oral sex.
The pledging group was also less likely to use condoms during their first sexual experience or get tested for STDs, the researchers found.

Data for the study was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. An in-school questionnaire was given to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7-12 and followed up with a series of in-home interviews roughly one, two, and six years later. It was funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, called the study "bogus," disputing that those involved had pledged true "abstinence."

"Kids who pledge abstinence are taught that any word that has 'sex' in it is considered a sexual activity," Unruh said. "Therefore oral sex is sex, and they are staying away."

Millions of teens have signed written pledges or verbally promised to abstain from sex, part of a church-led effort to discourage premarital sex and the spread of disease. President Bush has boosted funding for abstinence-only education in schools.

Critics say that education needs to be coupled with safe-sex education to be effective.

"If adolescents only had sex in monogamous, married relationships, by definition there would be no STDs," Brueckner said, echoing President Bush's remarks in last year's State of the Union address. "But the majority of adolescents don't live like that. They do have sex."

Last year, the same research team found that 88 percent of teens who pledge abstinence end up having sex before marriage, compared with 99 percent of teens who do not make a pledge

[Allegheny]

I am glad they didn't have this stupid pledge when I was a kid, you can't stop mother nature, just work with her.

[tardfarmer]

LOL,

I don't buy that crap for one nanosecond.

The "ap" on issues such as this typical cites polling stats from places like Planet out or some other horribly biased source.

Look into the whole thing.. i'll be the story was done by some organization akin to the "kinsey institute" and had a sample size of 50 in a san fran bath house.

[Charlie P]

Yale and Coumbia did the study with 12,000 kids.

Data for the study was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. An in-school questionnaire was given to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7-12 and followed up with a series of in-home interviews roughly one, two, and six years later. It was funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Charlie P]

I am glad they didn't have this stupid pledge when I was a kid, you can't stop mother nature, just work with her.

But look at what you'de be getting.

Among virgins, boys who have pledged abstinence were four times more likely to have had anal sex(with their girlfriends) than teens who have remained abstinent but not as part of a pledge, according to the study. Overall, pledgers were six times more likely to have oral sex.

[vc1111]

Yale and Coumbia did the study with 12,000 kids.

Data for the study was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. An in-school questionnaire was given to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7-12 and followed up with a series of in-home interviews roughly one, two, and six years later. It was funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sounds valid to me.

[boysda]

ORIGINAL: Charlie P

uh, that's among hetero males, right? cause if not, it might explain their willingness to take that particular pledge...

[Charlie P]

Yes, This is a study of hetrosexuals.

[tardfarmer]

Among virgins, boys who have pledged abstinence were four times more likely to have had anal sex(with their girlfriends) than teens who have remained abstinent but not as part of a pledge, according to the study. Overall, pledgers were six times more likely to have oral sex.

someone is not explaining what "abstinence" means then...

[datamax]

damn those kids for being smart little buggers !


I have a daughter ........ I'll teach her the best I can for the next 10-12 years and she'll make her own decision on pre-marital sex. All I can do is teach her the best I can to make informed decisions and know the consequences of those decisions.


Asking her to make a silly Pledge ? Please .............