Health Buzz: Virginity Pledges and Other Health News
Many of Those Who Take Virginity Pledges Have Premarital Sex
Teenagers who promise to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have sex before that as those who don't take virginity pledges, according to a new study published in the January issue of Pediatrics . Previous research found that those who take virginity pledges are more likely to wait to have sex than those who don't take such pledges. But this study used a different statistical method from earlier studies, which allowed researchers to compare pledge takers with non-pledge takers who were likely to delay having sex; it also didn't cover teens who weren't likely to take virginity pledges, HealthDay reports.
The study included information from 934 high school students who had taken virginity pledges or had never had sex. "Virginity pledgers and similar nonpledgers don't differ in the rates of vaginal, oral, or anal sex or any other sexual behavior," study author Janet E. Rosenbaum, a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told HealthDay. "Strikingly, pledgers are less likely than similar nonpledgers to use condoms and also less likely to use any form of birth control."
Is abstinence-only education best for preventing teen pregnancy? U.S. News explored the debate over educating teens about sex last year. Earlier this month, our writer Lindsay Lyon explained how parents can help kids dodge pregnancy and STDs.
Amid Economic Pain, Americans Cut Back on Cosmetic Surgery
People are cutting back on cosmetic surgery and other elective surgeries in response to the dismal economy, reversing the boom in tummy tucks, eyelifts, and breast implants, which have soared in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger people and the middle class, Nancy Shute reports. When polled in October, 62 percent of members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said their business was down 20 percent or more from the year before. "I expect it's more than that in some areas, a 40 or 50 percent decrease," says Michael McGuire, president-elect of the ASPS. That's particularly true in areas like New York, California, and Florida, which led the surge in popularity. A small survey by the society in October found that 60 percent of respondents said the economy had had an impact on their plans for cosmetic surgery. That's not surprising, given that cosmetic procedures aren't covered by insurance.
Prior to the economic downturn, statistics showed that men were increasingly turning to noninvasive cosmetic treatments to improve their looks. But cosmetic procedures do carry some risk—as underscored by the death of rapper Kanye West's mother last year—so patients, especially teenagers, should be cautious. So should medical tourists, since cosmetic surgery overseas can carry special risks.
Chillproofing Your Exercise Routine for Winter
It's snowy. It's cold. It's windy. And in the past week, you've eaten your weight in holiday cookie dough. Clearly, between the extra food and the stress of visiting relatives, right now you need your exercise routine more than ever. But the snow, cold, and wind don't necessarily mean you have to head to the gym and fight the hordes waiting for the next available treadmill, either, Katherine Hobson reports.
As one environmental physiologist once said, "Man in the cold is not necessarily a cold man." In other words: Suck it up, cupcake, and get out the door. With proper preparation, clothing, and common sense, there's really no place on Earth where it's so cold that you absolutely must forsake your outdoor exercise routine. "If you have the right gear, you can do anything you want in the cold," says John Castellani, a research physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine and an expert on cold injuries and exercise.
Consider these five ways your workout can weather the recession. Also, U.S. News's annual 50 Ways to Improve Your Life guide includes several tips to help you stay fit in the new year. Among this year's suggestions: Ride your bike to work, add obstacles to your jog, and walk away your cravings.
—January W. Payne
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Reader Comments
Using God's gift of sex & His gift of a good mind
The study did not compare pledge takers with non pledge takers, but pledge takers with other teens who also were likely to delay sex. So they are comparing one group of people who are trying to remain pure with another larger group who is trying to do the same thing. Not against the general population. It is also not a study on the effectiveness of abstinence programs. I also agree with M of MA above re the study data.
"The researcher was careful to only compare teens who had similar views on religion, birth control and sex in general, regardless of whether or not they took a pledge."
above quote from CNN:
Virginity pledges don't mean much, study says
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/30/virginity.pledges/
"Previous research found that those who take virginity pledges are more likely to wait to have sex than those who don't take such pledges. But this study used a different statistical method from earlier studies, which allowed researchers to compare pledge takers with non-pledge takers who were likely to delay having sex; it also didn't cover teens who weren't likely to take virginity pledges, HealthDay reports."
Your body and sexuality in general are powerful, wonderful gifts from God. As with every good thing He gives, people can hurt themselves and others by improperly using His gift OR bless themselves and others (especially those close, like spouses and children) by accepting it and using His gift the way He designed. :-)
I've always thought that a pledge or a promise cannot be the sum of abstinence programs. (Which I'm sure they're not.) A pledge only made because it's what "should" be done without a real understanding of why it is better and healthier to wait, how not to set yourself up for failure (by putting yourself in tempting situations or listening to/watching explicit material) and how to develop a relationship with someone who will not cajole you into something you'll regret later but instead completely respects you, your decision, and your body.
It's also extremely helpful to have a healthy relationship with supportive friends and parents. Lastly and most importantly, through a relationship with God through Jesus, God gives a person strength and wisdom to resist temptation and to enjoy this gift the way He planned. :-)
CNN has a detailed information on this study at http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/30/virginity.pledges/
virginity pledges
From what I remember about being a teenager, hormones go into overdrive and nothing anyone says or does can change the outcome. Sex is natural and we are mammals, so trying to fight nature does not work. Giving older teens the information and access to birth control is not only smart, it should be a right. 90% of abortions probably result from teens not using birth control, or not having access to it. This must change! Hopefully, people on the right will start facing reality, rather than questioning the survey or information and disputing it. This is reality, folks, and ignoring it won't be good for anyone. Virginity pledges are stupid and ineffective.
Pledging
I think that pledging not to have sex probably makes it a whole lot sexier to have sex -- it is then forbidden, sort of a Romeo and Juliet vibe.
It is much more practical and just as helpful for a teen to make a pragmatic self-agreement not to have sexual intercourse until college.
The only people who wait to have sex until they get married are people who never get married and those that are actually gay. Get real.
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