Young People Ask/What About Virginity Pledges? - Do Virginity Pledges Work?

The answer depends on whom you ask.

*According to researchers Christine C.Kim and Robert Rector, "several studies have found that adolescent virginity pledging was associated with delayed or reduced levels of teen sexual activity.

* According to research published by the Guttmacher Institute, studies indicate that "teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex than those that do not. 

Why the conflicting results?

* Some studies compare pledgers with non-pledgers who do not share  similar beliefs about sex. 

* Other studies compare pledgers with non-pledgers who share similar beliefs about sex.

What did the latter type of study reveal?  Dr. Janet Rosenbaum, a specialist in adolescent health issues says that after five years, "pledgers and non-pledgers don't differ at all in their sexual behavior." 

Next time: Young People Ask/What About Virginity Pledges? - A Better Approach

From the jw.org publications