Virgin at 18? Here's a Big Payoff!

UberLutheran

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article said:
A new study from the Christian group Focus on the Family analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth that was conducted in waves from 1979 to 2000 with 3,750 men and 3,620 women.


I'll bet that was one objective study!
rolleyes.gif


 
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Fineous_Reese

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Ninja Turtles said:
Couldn't the people that remained virgins been losers that couldn't get a partner even if they tried, so the idea of them being a virgin is rather moot? :confused:

And I think that would mean they are less likely to be sociable and successful. Whether you remain or virgin or not, I think that has little bearing on your success in life.

the study showed the 'losers' actually did better socially and had more successful careers than... what slur would you use for those who gave up their virginity before age 18?

i understand those showing dislike for Dr. Dobson are dismissing the study outright (which isn't very tolerant or open minded of them ;) ) but that doesn't dispel what came out in the study.
 
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Randall McNally

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Fineous_Reese said:
the study showed the 'losers' actually did better socially and had more successful careers than... what slur would you use for those who gave up their virginity before age 18?

i understand those showing dislike for Dr. Dobson are dismissing the study outright (which isn't very tolerant or open minded of them ;) ) but that doesn't dispel what came out in the study.
The study is flawed. The independent variable is unevenly distributed across groups.
 
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Sycophant

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It's been pointed out earlier, but I will do it again...

There is nothing in the study (that I can see) that show that the lack of sexual activity is the cause of this.

Also, they did better in the three factors mentioned (although I'm not even sure about one of them, what does a "had about half the risk of divorce" mean anyway?).

So, what about other factors?

Also, what if instead of the age at which they had sex, we find another random variable to group them by? Perhaps those with longer hair did better? Or maybe it was those who wore bright colours more often?

In fact, if you take any group, split it in half, and then focus on one group, it's pretty certain that you will find things that group does better than the other group (the very nature of statistics kind of assures this).

This is a totally meaningless study as far as I can tell.
 
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Ninja Turtles

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Fineous_Reese said:
the study showed the 'losers' actually did better socially and had more successful careers than... what slur would you use for those who gave up their virginity before age 18?

i understand those showing dislike for Dr. Dobson are dismissing the study outright (which isn't very tolerant or open minded of them ;) ) but that doesn't dispel what came out in the study.
They could have been losers and been very smart, which led to success later in life. I'm a virgin, but I know that has no bearing on the scholarships and universities I got into for my undergraduate and draduate education. People would consider me to be very successful, but to say it's because of my virginity, that's just stupid and probably idiot statistics.

There are easily other lurking variables not accounted for and that's why the study is just plain flawed.
 
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Fineous_Reese

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the study is not flawed, it shows high correlation. don't confuse correlation with cause and effect. of course there are other factors :) don't dismiss this one because you don't like where it leads. or dismiss it as you wish, it's a light shining on the worldview of the dismisser. sex *is* important, it's not a fun pasttime that should be allowed to children as long as they have condoms and a pat on the head from the sex ed teacher.
 
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k

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If we look at the social factors regarding pre-18 sexual activity we may see some reasons why some virgins accomplish more in certain areas.

Time: having sex is time consuming, from the dating to the activity.

Environment: most sexual active teens live a fairly fast lane party lifestyle...doesn't leave much time for other things.

It is not the activity of sex itself but the balance one can have in life. Some mature faster than others.
 
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Fineous_Reese

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Sanguine said:
What was the r-value?

give me $55.00 so i can subscribe and i'll look it up for ya :)

here's the abstract if anyone's interested (someone was asking about the study earlier)

Association of Virginity at Age 18 with Educational, Economic, Social, and Health Outcomes in Middle Adulthood

Reginald Finger, MD, MPH, Tonya Thelen, BS, John T.Vessey, PhD, Joanna K. Mohn, MD, Joshua R. Mann, MD, MPH

From 1979 through 2000 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY, 1979), we analyzed interview information on 3,750 men and 3,620 women to determine the impact of virginity at age 18 on educational, economic, social, and health outcomes in middle adulthood. Female virgins were more likely than non-virgins to have a positive financial net worth and less likely to use welfare benefits or to experience health problems. Virgins of both genders attained more education and were half as likely to experi*ence divorce. The findings were not due to avoiding teen pregnancy or teen fatherhood, and they persisted after controlling for ethnicity and measures of previous educational or economic disadvantage. Though the possibility of interference from unobserved variables cannot be entirely excluded, the strength, consistency, temporal direction, and plausibility of the associations suggest some causal effect. Possible explanations for the impact on divorce include the influence of pre-existing poor relationship skills as well as that of extramarital affairs. Encouraging teen sexual abstinence is expected to result in improved outcomes in middle adulthood.

Adolescent & Family Health, 2004, 3(4): p.164 - 170


Issue: 0304
Article ID: 030405

http://www.afhjournal.org/abstract.asp?article_id=030405
 
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Harpuia

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I'm gonna go on a limb and prophesy something:

I believe that a few years from now, we're going to see a story make headlines that being a virgin will have a negative impact on a person's life if they remain a virgin until 18. In other words, like they did with butter/margarine, they make a complete change of mind on the issue.
 
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Norseman

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Harpuia said:
I'm gonna go on a limb and prophesy something:

I believe that a few years from now, we're going to see a story make headlines that being a virgin will have a negative impact on a person's life if they remain a virgin until 18. In other words, like they did with butter/margarine, they make a complete change of mind on the issue.

What's the story with butter/margarine?
 
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Randall McNally

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Fineous_Reese said:
the study is not flawed, it shows high correlation.
It certainly does not. There are only two levels of the dependent variable available. It is therefore impossible to say whether the relationship between success and teenage sexual activity is linear or logarithmic.
don't confuse correlation with cause and effect.
You don't have to lecture me. I have a science degree. I have had my share of statistics courses.
of course there are other factors :) don't dismiss this one because you don't like where it leads.
If you are capable of understanding my objection - something that is looking increasingly unlikely - you will realize it has nothing to do with "where it leads."
or dismiss it as you wish, it's a light shining on the worldview of the dismisser. sex *is* important, it's not a fun pasttime that should be allowed to children as long as they have condoms and a pat on the head from the sex ed teacher.
I have no problems with trying to reduce teenage sex by accurately presenting factual information. In this case, however, accuracy is lacking. The end does not justify the means.
 
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Harpuia

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I'm wondering what will happen if the study I think will come out soon is true that there is something positive about kids having sex younger. What would the same people who opposed this survey think of that.
 
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Harpuia

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Ozymandius said:
I don't understand these people. I had lots of sex in high school and it only made me a better person. Sex, clearly, is AWESOME.

On the other hand, I think that slack-jawed yokels living in flyover country should DEFINITELY practice abstinence, preferably for life.

Great hate speech. Do you work weekends?
 
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Harpuia

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Ozymandius said:
I dont understand this animosity? I thought people who believed that an invisible man in the sky created the universe 6000 years ago are usually big on abstinence.

Some, until marriage. You can a) do your research about the basics of the two sides of the political spectrum or b) make another comment that I could only make if I was drunk.
 
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Ozymandius

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You cant drink! You're only 18!!!!!11one1...that's what I'd type if I were drunk.

Two sides to the political spectrum: Those who pretend sex does not exist, and those who acknowledge the fact and have the moral rectitude to instruct their younglings properly, rather than relying on them to ignore biological reality until old and decrepit.
 
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Fineous_Reese

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Randall McNally said:
It certainly does not. There are only two levels of the dependent variable available. It is therefore impossible to say whether the relationship between success and teenage sexual activity is linear or logarithmic.

sorry, guess i got a little newsweeky there, going on words like 'huge' ;) i can retract the 'high' part of the phrase if it would help.

You don't have to lecture me. I have a science degree. I have had my share of statistics courses.

my post wasn't to anyone in particular, you weren't the only one saying it was flawed. but thanks for the resume.

If you are capable of understanding my objection - something that is looking increasingly unlikely - you will realize it has nothing to do with "where it leads."

thanks for the dig, it really helps your argument ;)

I have no problems with trying to reduce teenage sex by accurately presenting factual information. In this case, however, accuracy is lacking. The end does not justify the means.

lacking not accuracy, but objectivity, in the case of those against the study. if there are good reasons to remain a virgin and a study showed that remaining so correlated with increased success later in life then why throw it out? despite posts i've seen here poisoning the well against those who put out the OP there was nothing that i've read stating kids also had to read their bible daily or take a pilgrimage to mecca or anything other than possible benefits of engaging in self-discipline in the sexual arena. there's nothing inaccurate about that.
 
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