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An Unfortunate Reality for our Youth

Let’s face it; there are a LOT of pressures out there for teenagers today. Pressure to get good grades, pressure to succeed in sports, pressure to live up to parental expectations…pressure to have sex just should not be something you have to deal with at a young age. We call it abstinence.

But sadly, it is an issue for many teens. Here are a few important things for you to remember as you make the choices regarding your sexuality.

  • Your virginity is a priceless gift and one you can only give away once. Hold onto it until you are married and can trust that your partner loves you and isn’t just after you for what he/she can get.
  • Remember that sex has consequences – pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and a broken heart are just a few.
  • If the person you are dating truly loves you, he or she will not pressure you for sex.

Visit TeenBreaks.com for real-life stories from teens that have stood up to the pressure to have sex.

Why Abstinence? Why wait until marriage?

According to recent studies, one out of every three females gets pregnant at least once before the age of 20. 1

This results in over 800,000 teen pregnancies each year. 2

Three of every ten of these pregnancies ends in abortion. 3

Teen parents are more likely than other teens to:

  • Drop out of school
  • Have additional out-of-wedlock children
  • Change jobs
  • Be on welfare
  • Have mental and physical health problems 4

Children born to teens are at increased risk for:

  • Low birth weight
  • Lower cognitive scores
  • School failure
  • Becoming teenage parents
  • Incarceration
  • Drug abuse 5, 6

Is this the future you envision for yourself? Abstinence allows you the freedom to grow, accomplish your life goals and have children within the context of marriage, when you and your spouse are committed and ready to have children. As a Christian, abstinence helps you accomplish God’s plan for your life.

Abstinence buys you time to find your life partner

The story is as old as time itself. Girl meets boy. Boy wants sex. Girl wants a “relationship.” Girl gives in, thinking it will help her keep “the relationship.” Girl gets pregnant.

You can imagine lost of different endings for the story above – but none of them will be too happy. When there is a romantic relationship there will be pressure to have sex. That’s just the way we are wired-up as humans. Romance is tied to sex. To think otherwise, or to imagine you “won’t go that far,” is to fool yourself.

On the other hand, if you abstain from sex and carefully keep yourself out of situations where there may be pressure to have sex, you will buy yourself the time you need to find your real mate for life-long marriage.

YOU can set an example for others by living a life of purity and chastity…saving sex for marriage is the best way to preserve both.

“My mom says there are two kinds of guys out there. The kind who want to use you like a toy for their own pleasure, and the kind who want to marry you. Stay away from the first kind and you’ll have a much better shot at finding the second kind!”​
Amber, 13

References

1. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 14 and Younger, The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents. Washington, D.C.: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; May 2003. Available athttp://www.teenpregnancy.org.

2. National Center for Health Statistics. Births: final data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2003, 52(10). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, US Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2003.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Abortion Surveillance – United States. 2000. MMWR 2003; 52(SS-12). Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US Dept. of Health and Human Services: 2003. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5212.pdf

4. Coley, R.L., Chase-Lansdale, P.L. Adolescent pregnancy and parenthood: Recent evidence and future directions. AmPsychol. 1998;53(2): 152-166

5, 6. US General Accounting office. Teen Mothers: Selected Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Risk Factors. Washington, DC; US General Accounting Office; June 1998. GAO?HEHs-98-141. http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/taku77/refer/teenmo.pdf

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