Why is it better to remain abstinent rather than just reducing the risk of having sex. First, you do not have to worry about contracting STD/STI’s or finding yourself in an unplanned pregnancy. Family studies have also shown that the more sexual partners you have before marriage, the more likely you are to divorce. Even having just one sexual partner before marriage increases your risk of divorcing by 15%. You should also know that majority of teenagers your age are not having sex. The CDC tells us that only about 30% of 15-17 year old teenagers are. So you don’t have to! Even though society and the media makes it seem like most of your peers are having sex, they aren’t, so don’t feel pressured or that you have to have sex to fit in. And of those who have had sex, a university study shows that 67% of them wish they had waited. Finally, teens that do not engage in sex have been psychological and emotional health- they are less likely to consider suicide or suffer from depression.
Maybe you’ve already had sex. It is not too late. You can make the decision today to remain abstinent until marriage and not have to worry about STD’s or pregnancy from this point on, as well as increase your chance of having healthier relationships in the future. So think about hitting that reset button and strive for abstinence from now until marriage.