Abstinence is In

You’re probably tired of hearing it, but the truth remains: abstinence is the only way to completely avoid the risk of pregnancy and/or STDs. Yes, there are ways to practice safer sex, and for those who choose to have sex, safer sex is the way to go! But a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that an increasing number of teens have never had sex before.

The report drew from surveys of 13,500 men and women ages 15 to 44. In 2002, it was estimated that 22 percent of males and females had never had sexual contact with another person. The CDC’s recent report based on data from a 2006 to 2008 survey found that 27 percent of male and 29 percent of female 15-to 24-year-olds had never had sexual contact with another person. This shows an increase of five percent for males and an increase of seven percent for females from 2002.

And sure, these results were obtained by survey, and people may not always be completely honest. But even so, these numbers indicate that sexuality education messages about waiting until you’re ready for sex are sticking, just a bit.

Of course, abstinence isn’t for everyone. But if you do feel that abstinence is the best choice, you’re clearly (and even more so now that you would have been a few years ago) not alone.

—Taylor McCabe, 18, Contributor