5 million teenagers get an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) each year. 1 million unplanned pregnancies occur. So what's at risk? Is there such a thing as Safe Sex? Read the FAQ's about Safe Sex and you decide.
Not everybody is doing it. The number of college freshman who approve of casual sex is decreasing. Abstinence isn't about never having sex. It's about waiting to have the best, safest, ultimate sex. Postponing sexual activity until marriage can make you risk free, worry free and help you find the relationship you deserve.
Every day you make decisions. And lifestyle decisions are perhaps the most important. Many decisions in life give you an opportunity to correct a mistake. That's not true about your sex life. Once you have HIV disease you can't get rid of it. Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer. Chlamydia can leave you infertile. Other STD's you battle over a lifetime. Risk of pregnancy is also increases with sexual activity. Risk of losing your dreams of hope and a future.
Sexual Activity is the number one cause of unplanned pregnancy. Think about it. 1 in 10 teenage girls become pregnant every year. Becoming a parent is easy; being parent is tough. Take a minute to think about how your life would change if you became a father or a mother. Would you still go to school, where would you live, how would you survive? There are choices if you do become pregnant, but isn't it easier just to live life knowing you won't have to make those choices. Think about it.
Condoms are better than nothing, but far from perfect. It is misleading to think that condoms make sex safe. Even if they are used consistently and correctly, they can slip and break. And, do you know condoms don't cover everything? Some STD's, like herpes and HPV, can be passed by direct, intimate, skin-to-skin contact from areas not covered by the condom. That's why messing around can even be risky. Oral sex can be dangerous too. You want real protection? Save yourself till marriage.
If someone truly loves you, they won't expose you to risk. Abstinence is an act of love. It considers the other person by protecting every part of their being; body mind and emotions. Love and closeness are developed in many ways over time. You have to spend time together, getting to know one and other. Ask yourself if you would spend the rest of your life with this person. Physical pleasure is not love an don't ever let anyone tell you that it is.
It's never too late for a new start! When you begin setting boundaries you will increase your self respect and their respect for you. If someone won't respect you for what you believe in then they are not worth the risk. It feels great to make healthy, smart, bold decisions! Abstinence won't stunt your sexuality. It will preserve it. It makes so many things possible, like finishing your education and pursuing your dreams. You have more choices than you realize, a choice for a Hope and a Future.