Absence Before Marriage

I don't understand abstinence at all, your virginity isn't a gift to give someone, it was treasured before because back then there was no DNA tests and wealthy men wanted to insure that the son that will inherit his wealth is ACTUALLY his.
Sex isn't a gift to give to man either, since both parties should be able to enjoy it equally if it is done right.
To all the men and women saying that they would date someone with "too many miles on them", shame on you. How does respecting someone correlates with how many ****s you had in you?!
Also abstinence is the most ridiculous form of contraception, use condoms
Educate yourselves and stop slut-shaming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCw2MzKjpoo

100% fool proof is ridiculous?

Teenagers doing abstinence programs are more likely to have sex within 2 years, more likely to have unprotected sex and therefore are more likely to get STDs and more likey to get pregnant. There is plenty research to support this.
That's what I meant.

And besides any moral/religious reasons, also remember that increased number of sexual partners results in increased STD risk. If a woman has 4 sexual partners, she has almost 85% of contracting HPV. Higher number of sexual partners has also been linked to increased risk of prostate cancer. Also, 1.3 million unplanned pregnancies in the united states come from unmarried partners which is more than twice the rate in married couples even though the number of ttal pregnancies are almost the same.

A federally-funded University of Pennsylvania study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that only one third of sixth- and seventh-graders who completed abstinence-focused programs had sex within the next two years, compared to nearly half of the students who attended other classes, including ones that taught combined abstinence and contraception
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658
How effective is abstinence in preventing pregnancy and STIs?

Abstinence from intercourse and oral sex is the most effective way to avoid pregnancy and STIs, but a sense of self-control and commitment are necessary for this method to be effective. You need to be aware that how you define abstinence, meaning the behaviors you include and exclude, will raise or lower your risk for pregnancy and STIs. Pregnancy could occur if pre-ejaculate or ejaculatory fluid is deposited near the opening of the vagina. STIs such as human papilloma virus (HPV) and herpes can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact while others such as gonorrhea and hepatitis can be transmitted by oral-genital contact.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22022362
The United States ranks first among developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In an effort to reduce these rates, the U.S. government has funded abstinence-only sex education programs for more than a decade. However, a public controversy remains over whether this investment has been successful and whether these programs should be continued. Using the most recent national data (2005) from all U.S. states with information on sex education laws or policies (N = 48), we show that increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates. This trend remains significant after accounting for socioeconomic status, teen educational attainment, ethnic composition of the teen population, and availability of Medicaid waivers for family planning services in each state. These data show clearly that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S.

Le sigh.... My husband was supposed to be a booty call. So because of my loose moral standards, I created a very nice relationship.. 10 years so far. Good for you for abstaining! I didn't. I like sex. A lot. I'm glad I found someone who does it right and is also a stellar human being.

Abstinence from intercourse and oral sex is the most effective way to avoid pregnancy and STIs

I first I disagreed, I thought there was anal also until I read the STI part. Oral can be effective unless there is some swallowing or someone is on their monthly cycle.

We are sexual beings, therefore denying the need for sex just isn't natural. But in saying that, waiting for the right one to come along before throwing yourself out there worked for me. I have only had one sexual partner and we are engaged. Sex before marriage can work.

I really have nothing to say about this. ^^ I just found your ticker ironic

I'll just say this. There is a reason most every form of major religion for millennia has practiced chastity abstinence celibacy and the sacredness of our sexuality. Sometimes to step back and pay homage to our temple our body wether it be maintaining purity, meditating, practicing tantric, or just respecting it is divine.

Prove there is a divine before you start using it as a premise. Then, define which religions are "major" and why. Lastly, provide evidence that those major religions advocate chastity et al..

Not A divine YOU'RE divine

I'll just say this. There is a reason most every form of major religion for millennia has practiced chastity abstinence celibacy and the sacredness of our sexuality. Sometimes to step back and pay homage to our temple our body wether it be maintaining purity, meditating, practicing tantric, or just respecting it is divine.

Prove there is a divine before you start using it as a premise. Then, define which religions are "major" and why. Lastly, provide evidence that those major religions advocate chastity et al..

Not A divine YOU'RE divine

Thanks. So are you

At first I had planned to wait - made it to 18, so didn't do too bad. I'd wanted to show any potential future progeny that it *could* be done. And admittedly I felt like a failure for a while, and that I had become 'used goods.' Then I discovered it didn't actually matter that much, and that I rather enjoy sex in a long-term monogamous relationship.

I'd rather that everyone did what was right for themselves when it comes to this, regardless of their reason. If you said you wanted to sleep with 100 men before thirty, by golly I'd support that (but hope like hell you'd either get them all tested or get yourself tested all the time), just as I support your abstaining.

As to the below:

I'll just say this. There is a reason most every form of major religion for millennia has practiced chastity abstinence celibacy and the sacredness of our sexuality. Sometimes to step back and pay homage to our temple our body wether it be maintaining purity, meditating, practicing tantric, or just respecting it is divine.

If by 'major religion', you mean abrahamic. Because, you know, a lot of the roman ones didn't. Some indian ones didn't (and don't). And so forth. In fact, the abrahamic ones are interestingly 'pure' in that respect. There were a few reasons why -

-children are property. A man wanted to know the child was his. The ONLY guarantee was that she was a virgin.
-one group is considered superior to another, and restricting sexuality can also restrict interbreeding

Also, in the abrahamic religions sex wasn't particularly special in the old testament. Rather, people are told to go kill the men and rape the women (let me know if you want a quote). Lot sent his *virgin* daughters out to a group of men to be... used (admittedly they're saved before it gets that far). Then, we also have the interesting Song of Solomon...

I think some people live in a dream world.

I would never do it. In my opinion, physical/sexual compatibility is MANDATORY in a marriage, and its important to know that its there before you agree to spend the rest of your life with someone. I'd hate to think what I might have missed out if I'd have married someone who didn't do it for me in that department.

To each their own though....