News flash: Teens who take virginity pledges don't keep them

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Here's something most people don't know about me: I was a pretty hardcore Christian when I was a teen. I'm talking Southern Baptist who went on missionary trips -- stuff like that. And at some point, I took a virginity pledge to save myself for marriage. And, due more to my social anxiety with boys than to my faith, I didn't lose my virginity in my teens. But man, I knew a lot of other of my fellow teen born-agains who did.

So, the news today that most teens who take virginity pledges "are just as likely to have sex as teens who don't make such promises" is not really news to me (and I'm sure not to most of you). But the most depressing part of this story is that, according to this new Johns Hopkins study, these pledgers are less likely to practice safe sex to prevent disease and pregnancy. Oh, and here's another fun fact: "The study also found that, five years after taking a virginity pledge, more than 80 percent of pledgers denied ever making such a promise." Wow.

Honestly, this isn't the most shocking revelation, but it's nice to see a study proving as scientific fact that abstinence-only messaging for teens just isn't working and is possibly harmful. Hopefully, news like this will serve as a strong impetus for the incoming Obama administration to work on real, solid sex education in our schools. Our teens need to know that choosing not to have sex and knowing how to be safe about sex are not mutually exclusive things!

Now, I'm curious; how many of you Shine readers ever took a virginity pledge? And did you stick to it? Also, do you think discouraging teens to not have sex should also include some info on how to stay safe if they choose not to abstain?