Are you still a virgin?
If you are, you're not alone, because more teens are saying no to sex. But why? The statistics are getting better. More than half of all guys in high school report that they are still virgins, a number which has risen dramatically since 1990 when the number was only about 35%. The teen pregnancy rate has fallen steadily at the same time, below any previous level recorded in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there has been a 35% decline in in the birth rate among 15-17 year olds, as well as a drop in the number of teen abortions. So, why are so many
teens, especially the boys, saying no to sex? Even the experts are a bit
puzzled, but there seems to be a major attitude and cultural change among
teenagers. Some of the possible reasons for the dramatic decline in the
pregnancy rate could be:
Teens who remain virgins throughout high school, and even into college, may think they're missing out on some of the fun, but the reality is their sexually active peers are the ones missing out. The study: A new study from the Christian group Focus on the Family analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth that was conducted in waves from 1979 to 2000 with 3,750 men and 3,620 women. It controlled for ethnicity and previous educational or economic disadvantage. About half the students were virgins at 18 and half were not. Students were surveyed at age 18 and again at age 38. The results:
When the two groups were evaluated 20 years after their high school graduation,
the data showed that both the male and female high school students who
remained virgins at least until age 18 enjoyed huge advantages as adults,
compared to those who had had sex in high school: "It is very much as we suspected--that adolescent virginity has a significant impact on well-being in middle adulthood," said lead study author Reginald Finger, M.D. "We found, as well, that these better outcomes were not merely the result of avoiding teenage pregnancy or fatherhood. The outcomes are inherent to remaining abstinent. In addition, we found that female virgins were more likely than their non-virgin counterparts to have a positive financial net worth and were almost half as likely as non-virgins to use welfare benefits." The research findings were published in the journal Adolescent and Family Health. How to Start Over If You’ve Lost Your Virginity Secondary virginity
is a decision to abstain from sexual activity, starting with today and
continuing until the day you get married. It’s an opportunity to
start over. Your physical virginity may be lost, Five Steps to Becoming a Secondary Virgin • Make a firm
commitment to save yourself for marriage from now on, and believe you
can do it. (Because you can!) Need some
encouragement to hang on to or reclaim your virginity? Call the center
for an appointment or e-mail us at the "Questions?" link |
