Virgin at 18? Here's a Big Payoff!

[ff578]

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/love/package.jsp?name=fte/virginat18/virginat18

Teens who remain virgins throughout high school may think they're missing out on some of the fun, but the reality is their sexually active peers are the ones missing out.

I guess this is news to the ACLU-MTV-Pervert crowd. Just imagine, following God's plan for life has benefits! Oh the amazement!!!


I am now putting on my suit waiting for the MTV type comments on why this study is all imagination, and their planned parenthood propaganda is what we must all believe as gospel.

 

[pantsman52]

I guess my question would be why does being a virgin accomplish these goals?

 

[DanteRisen]

One simple fact of being a virgin helping to reach these goals is simply you have absolutely no chance of any "side affects." By this I mean, no STD's to pull you out of school and away from your life, and more importantly you have no probability to become pregnant (or a father) in high school. Pregnancy does lead to a lot of drop outs, and those who have enough support to stay in highschool generally don't feel they have the opportunity to go onto college.

Also, those who choose to stay abstinent, generally overall have a higher self-esteem level. They don't feel as many pressures on them at a young age as those who are having sex. If you're not having sex in high school, you're not focusing on diseases, or if you took your birth control pill that morning. The simple fact is, you have less to worry about.

Personally, I have been with the same woman for five years now and neither of us have had sex with each other or anyone else as a matter of fact. If we had had sex within the first six months or so, I don't know where we'd be. We started dated two months before she graduated high school and I have to ask myself, what if she got pregnant? Would she now be a college graduate with two degrees and doing the job that she would have wanted? And how could I have taken care of another mouth to feed along with her, I was 19 and living alone on a very low hourly wage.

What it all comes down to is this. I don't have that extra weight on my shoulders, worrying over what will happen if we are not carefull enough. I know that I am being as safe as possibly can be.

 

[Alarum]

I wonder how FoF screwed up this study? I'll be honest, sometimes I like what they're saying, but their methodology is always wonky (even when it doesn't need to be).

 

[Douglaangu v2.0]

They had about half the risk of divorce.

I'm skeptical about this, given that divorce rates between christians (who you would expect to abstain untill marriage) are the same as between non-christians.


Edit: I did read something interesting, that it appears the researchers didn't think of.

The research findings may prove that IT IS TRUE that "adolescent virginity has a significant impact on well-being in middle adulthood", but didn't it occur to the researchers that the factors which contributed to the decision of those to remain virgins until 18 might well be the same factors that produce those advantages they are enjoying as adults?

In other words, the benefits that they enjoy in adulthood are not a direct result of choosing abstinence until 18, but a result of the factors that led to their decision to remain virgins.

These factors could be anything which the person values. It could be... religion, the adherence of which removes the person's desire to engage in sexual intercourse until marriage, and the adherence of which contributes to the person's motivation to strive for a successful future. Or it could be... family, the influence of which diverts the person's focus to concentrate on the education life, career life, family life, instead of on the sexual life.

The research conclusion reported in the article, in my opinion, is misleading, although... it could help influence teenagers in making the right decision regarding abstinence.

 

[Redneck]

The fornicators miss out?

 

[Doctrine1st]

I guess this is news to the ACLU-MTV-Pervert crowd. Just imagine, following God's plan for life has benefits! Oh the amazement!!!

I am now putting on my suit waiting for the MTV type comments on why this study is all imagination, and their planned parenthood propaganda is what we must all believe as gospel.

I think virginity till marriage is great. That's a terrific article and of course abstinence is the best route, but are the comments about equating perverts neccessary? I mean perverts can be found all over, even in the pews across America.

 

[Grizzly]

The fornicators miss out?

My guess is that both groups are missing out on something

 

[Fineous_Reese]

I'm skeptical about this, given that divorce rates between christians (who you would expect to abstain untill marriage) are the same as between non-christians.

actually in some areas the non-christians have lower divorce rates although this may be due to avoiding marriage from the start. don't get married, can't get divorced!

and it's sad that we should expect better of folks who claim Christ as their Lord but it doesn't happen. i think it's in the book of Acts, can't find it right now, where the writer was offering the lives of believers to be examined to determine that Jesus was true.

 

[Fineous_Reese]

The fornicators miss out?

My guess is that both groups are missing out on something

sure, but not the same somethings and not all somethings are equal

/me rather enjoyed missing out on diseases, distresses and guilt.

 

[starchild]

Maybe being a virgin at 18 is a big deal for a guy, but...

Since I was a virgin til 25 (when it was taken from me in spite of my protests), I feel I can talk to that.

It just is. It isn't important or unimportant. The only important part about it is whether YOU decide give up your virginity, and with a clear mind.

Anyone who takes that from another person should be imprisoned. Anyone who gets another person drunk or high for the purpose of taking that from another person should be imprisoned.

I was originally saying 'castrated' - but in (rare) cases where a woman takes advantage of a man, I'm not certain there is a physical correction to ensure it can never happen again.

 

[Grizzly]

sure, but not the same somethings and not all somethings are equal

* Fineous_Reese rather enjoyed missing out on diseases, distresses and guilt.

Actually, I agree that remaining a virgin for as long as possible is a good thing. You shouldn't have sex until your ready to accept responsibility for your actions. But I don't draw the line at marriage. In fact, I know a few married people who aren't ready for the responsibilities that come with sex. And I know some unmarried people who are.

 

[Smidlee]

Actually, I agree that remaining a virgin for as long as possible is a good thing.

Being pure is better than being a virgin. I remember Michael Jackson in his late 20's claim he was a virgin yet even if that was true, Michael wasn't pure. Same with Spears

You should have sex until your ready to accept responsibility for your actions. But I don't draw the line at marriage. In fact, I know a few married people who aren't ready for the responsibilities that come with sex. And I know some unmarried people who are.

Here I disagree. denying oneself of sex before marriage shows responsiibity in itself. The whole idea with sex before marriage is pleasure without being tie to responsibity since you can bail out at any time. I do agree some couples have no business getting married the start with which leads to divorce as too many let their drive choose their mate instead of a clear mind and heart. Marriages requires sacrifice and self denial to last through the tough time after the honeymoon is over.

 

[Yitzchak]

Children do cost money. But I look at a child as a blessing from God no matter what the circumstances are. I respect teens who keep their babies rather than giving them up for abortion and who make sacrifices to give their children a better life. Money is not the most important thing in life.

 

[Randall McNally]

I wonder how FoF screwed up this study? I'll be honest, sometimes I like what they're saying, but their methodology is always wonky (even when it doesn't need to be).

The one I noticed right off is the inherent quantitative imbalance between groups. The "virgin" group obviously contains only one type of individual vis a vis sexual intercourse - one who did not have sex in high school. But the "non-virgin" group contains many types - those who had sex once, those who had sex multiple times, those who had sex with only one partner, those who had many partners, and everything in between.

I don't think anyone would be too surprised to find that students who had several partners in high school were less successful socially and/or professionally. There are often emotional/esteem issues that an individual might use sex to make up for.

But is there a tangible drop-off for monogamous students who engage in responsible, protected sex? How about for the student who naively loses his/her virginity then decides that a mistake was made, and any further sexual contact should be put off? I don't see that the study gives us this information.

 

[Norseman]

I wonder how FoF screwed up this study? I'll be honest, sometimes I like what they're saying, but their methodology is always wonky (even when it doesn't need to be).

Actually, I'm willing to bet they did it correctly. The problem is, they're not demonstrating that remaining a virgin is what caused sucess. It's quite likely that the kind of person who does well in school and in life is the same kind of person who isn't very interested in sex, or who would keep a vow of abstinence etc. They would need to take a group of people at random and forcibly make them abstain from sex, and then another group of people who, taken at randomly, are forced to have sex before age 18, then compare them to the already studied group, and see if the forced virginity/non-virginity actually helps/harms them, or, if as I suspect, does nothing. Unfortunately, they can't do that, so we'll never know. Nonetheless, I don't agree with their findings, albeit I do agree not having sex with a wide number of people is a good thing for mitigating the spread of STDs and avoiding unplanned pregnancies in children.

Edit: Bolded the important part for the people who will skim this thread.

 

[toxiciridescence]

But is there a tangible drop-off for monogamous students who engage in responsible, protected sex? How about for the student who naively loses his/her virginity then decides that a mistake was made, and any further sexual contact should be put off? I don't see that the study gives us this information.

I was looking for this information also. Of course, this isn't exactly an organization I'd put my money to anyway.

 

[Grizzly]

Maybe being a virgin at 18 is a big deal for a guy, but...

Since I was a virgin til 25 (when it was taken from me in spite of my protests)

I was saddened to read that.

No one should be forced to have sex against their will. But I guess that should go without saying....

 

[starchild]

I was saddened to read that.

No one should be forced to have sex against their will. But I guess that should go without saying....

It was a long time ago. Pretty devastating at the time, but I was lucky - it wasn't like I was beaten up and savaged.

And I agree that no one should be forced, or coerced or tricked into it against their will.

But I learned that it really had nothing to do with who I am.

 

[xMinionX]

I fail to see the connection between being a virgin until 18 and being successful in life. Cum hoc ergo propter hoc, I believe, is the proper name for this fallacy. Also known as the 'Correlation implies causation' fallacy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_implies_causation_(logical_fallacy)