To Protect Your Physical Health
Prevent an unwanted pregnancy
Did you know…that about 3 out of every 20 couples using condoms to avoid pregnancy end up
pregnant anyway within the first year of use1. Are you ready to be a mom or a dad?Prevent sexually transmitted disease
Did you know…1 out of 4 sexually active teens has an STD.2
Prevent cancer and infertility
Did you know…Some diseases like Chlamydia can cause long-lasting effects on your body,
especially if you’re female. If it isn’t caught early, Chlamydia can lead to infertility. The most
common STD is called Human Papillomavirus(HPV). This type of disease can cause genital
warts and some strains lead to cervical cancer.3
To Protect Your Emotional Health
Sex is not only a physical act, it is extremely emotional as well
Did you know…Oxytocin is a chemical released during sex that researchers link to the powerful bond between men and women. When a couple break up, the bond is broken and both women and men can feel stupid, used, and unloved. The breakup can lead to very strong feelings of betrayal, anger and loss and can take months or years to recover.4
Having patience and waiting for sex builds character and gives you something to look forward to.
Did you know…many men and women get satisfaction out of being able to tell their spouse that they waited just for them. Many relationships move to a higher level of respect and love when your girlfriend or boyfriend knows you care enough to not put the other in a situation that could jeopardize their future.
To Protect Your Social Health
Be a role model for your friends and younger siblings
Did you know…your actions speak louder than words and people watch what you do. What are your actions saying about who you are and what you believe? Having self-control in the area of sex is a very attractive quality.
Start working on developing a good reputation now.
Did you know…people will begin to form an opinion of you by the way you treat others. Who wants to be known around school as “the player” or “the slut”?
Choosing to wait can be difficult but very rewarding at the same time. In the long run, holding off from sexual activity until marriage can be much easier than dealing with all the heavy negative consequences that can come with teen sex. If you have already had sex, and think you might want to stop, it is never too late for a second chance. Make a choice today to remain sexually abstinent until marriage.
Footnotes
1 Medical Institute for Sexual Health: Facts about Condoms & STDs
2 Eng TR, Butler WT, eds. The Hidden Epidemic–Confronting Sexually Transmitted Disease. Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1997.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Treatment Guidelines, 2006
4 Eric J. Keroak, MD, FACOG and John R. Diggs Jr., MD, Medical Abstinence Council