Sex & Choices

Some Key Reasons for Abstinence

Risk of pregnancy

4,000 teenage girls become pregnant each day in America. The Birth control pill, patch and Depo-Provera shot were never tested on teens so 99.9% effective is unproven and not accurate. Teens experience breakthrough ovulations and increased levels of hormones during puberty which put teens at increased risk of pregnancy.

Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's)

During puberty a girl's cervical lining is thin and moist which means it absorbs any infection introduced by sex. Sexual maturity of the cervical lining is not complete until age 18-21. STD's can cause infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, etopic pregnancies and complications during pregnancy. Its estimated that 30% - 40% of stillbirths, infants deaths and premature births are caused by STD's.

High risk of HPV and Genital Herpes

Be aware, condoms only cover the penis and only offers some protection against HIV and Gonorrhea for men. The areas that are not covered can still pass STD's. to partners, especially HPV and Genital Herpes. Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer and/or warts and is not curable. Its estimated that half of all sexually active female teens have HPV. 5.5 millions Americans are infected with HPV. The purpose of a pap smear is to detect this virus, but many times the doctor will not tell the patient that HPV is caused by sex! Genital Herpes – 1 in 5 Americans age 12 and over who has been sexually active have genital herpes. There is no cure and herpes can be spread by touching an infected area or having vaginal, oral or anal intercourse.

Emotional Pain / Depression / Loss of Bonding

Teen sexual activity increases depression, thoughts of suicide and stress. Many teen girls choose to have sex because they want someone to love them, much of this stems from lack of a healthy father-daughter relationship. That’s why 70% of all teen pregnancies are fathered by males ages 20 and over. For females sex bonds them to their partner (oxytocin) so they find it almost impossible to break away from negative or abusive relationships. However, over time with several partners, females experience a loss of bonding, which is a difficult and painful long-term effect.

Abstinence is not about how far one can go sexually but about how pure one should be. Even if already sexually active, everyone always has the right to say no to sex. Many teens stop having sex and renew their commitment to the value of virginity, its called renewed virginity. Saying no to sex now is saying yes to a positive future and a sexually fulfilling marriage.

Provided by Sherry Cline, Pregnancy Ministries, Inc.

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