March 20, 2005
Virginity Pledgers Just As Likely To Catch STDs
It would appear that US teenagers who pledge to keep their virginity till they get hitched have about the same chance as catching a sexually transmitted disease as the hell-bound kids who spend their afternoons diddling each other instead of doing their English homework, according to a new study.
This is because although they believe pre-marital penis-in-the-vagina sex ain’t right, they’re quite happy to stick pink bits up their bot bots or in their mouths. Because, as we all know, God is absolutely a-okay with anal and oral sexings - it says so in the Bible. The Book Of (Head) Job, I believe.
Teens who take the pledge are also more likely to take chances with other kinds of sex that increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, the study of 12,000 adolescents suggests.
The study, published in the April issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that teens pledging virginity until marriage are more likely to have oral and anal sex. That behaviour “puts you at risk,” said Hannah Bruckner, assistant professor of sociology at Yale and one of the study’s authors.
Among virgins, boys who had pledged abstinence were four times more likely to have had anal sex, according to the study. Overall, pledgers were six times more likely to have had oral sex than teens who remained virgins but not as part of a pledge.
The pledging group also was less likely to use condoms during their first sexual experience or get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, the researchers found.
ausculture.com extends its warmest congratulations to the folks behind the abstinence movement in the United States for such successful results. And while we’re at it, kudos to religious leaders whose “Condoms are bad, mmkay?” message can only be helping third-world countries ravaged by hunger, poverty and diseases like HIV. You go, gang!
Posted by Jess at March 20, 2005 08:50 PM— Filed under Common
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Abstinence Good (Ignore Reality)
Being a nerd mongst nerds I had to go and check out the journal article for myself. Apart from the fantastic results you’ve already highlighted I was particularly impressed that not only were pledgers significantly less likely to use a condom during their first sexual encounter (54.6%, non-pledgers 59.7%) but they were less likely to see a doctor about STDs afterwards (sexually active pledgers 15.9%, sexually active non-pledgers 20.8%). Sounds like an epidemiologist’s nigtmare.
Having had a look at the study design I think you’ll find a lot of soft-heads saying “it’s only a survey, not an experiment” (try getting that through an ethics committee!), “it’s not representative of all adolescents” (what proportion of kids who’ve left school are going to be pledgers?) and “pledgers were less likely to participate in the study so it’s unrepresentative” (probably means their actual behaviour, as opposed to what’s reported, is even less safe).
Sorry to go on so much but this issue pisses me off. When will these bloody abstinence morons recognise that the world doesn’t work like that?!? Growing up is about doing new things and making crappy choices - abstinence just means that when you do these things you’ll be putting yourself at considerable risk.
Okay, now let’s get back to talking about Delta.
There’s an EMBARGO! Remember?
Although I must say, I love that She Who Cannot Be Named’s acting ability has been question since the release of The Movie Regarding Hate Which Cannot Be Named.
Hello? Did no one watch her in Neighbours? She was god fucking awful. The best thing she could have done was leave, have a pop career and distract the nation from the memory of it for the rest of time.
But noooo - she had to come back to visit Jack Fucking Scully. Woeful. And the script! Some of the lines were about as subtle as a sledgehammer.
For instance, to remind us where Nina Tucker had been, we got to witness an exchange along the lines of…
Jack “Eh, bro?” Scully: Nina, you look great.Nina: (forced laugh) Haha, thank you, it is much easier to look nice WHEN YOU ARE NOT WEARING A SARI! A SARI! LIKE IN INDIA AND STUFF! BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT COMPLETELY IMPLAUSIBLE PLOTLINE, WHERE I BECAME A HUGE BOLLYWOOD FILM STAR OUT OF NOWHERE, SORT OF LIKE TANIA ZAETTA!
Yes, it’s lucky the embargo is still on so I don’t accidentally catch myself discussing She Who Cannot Be Named at great length with far too much passion.
Did Tania Zaetta end up doing work in Bollywood? I though her career ended with Baywatch Downunder.
“Baywatch Downunder” - Giggles with laughter… falls off seat.
Didn’t Tania Zaetta die in a tragic accident on the set of Who Dares Wins? If I remember correctly, she was walking a tightrope when she lost her balance and plummeted into Mike Whitney’s ‘fro and was never heard from again.
I think you’re confused Tim. Though it was Mike Whitney’s afro it was actually Kimberley Joseph who fell into it on the set of Gladiators.
I just can’t believe just over 50% of use condoms during their first sexual encounter. That in itself seems terribly wrong. And under 20% go see a doctor about STDs afterwards.
God I wish we were more accepting society where teenagers feel free to seek advice when it comes to sexual matters.. common sense would dictate that greater knowledge teamed up with the confidence and ability to see help in sexual health would definitely reduce teen pregnancy.