Good News on Teen Sexuality

As a parent, do you find yourself discouraged trying to convince your teen about the importance of abstinence? Does it seem like an uphill battle in our sexually saturated media culture?

Well then, it is time for a little good news on the teen sexuality front. Ever since the True Love Waits campaign began and teens were presented with abstinence as a choice, rates of teen sexuality have dropped every year. Funny, we don’t hear much about the impact of religion on teen sexuality.

Based on results from a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, religion and moral training make a difference when it comes to teens having sex. When asked what their main reason for abstaining was, 41 percent of girls and 31 percent of boys, cited religion or morals as the answer.  Avoiding sexually transmitted diseases was not the main reason for the group of abstainers. 

Additionally, the study found that the percentage of sexually experienced teenage girls declined from 1988 to 2006. One of the factors was living with both parents. Teen girls who lived in other parental arrangements had higher rates of sexual experience.

So what are the takeaways from this news?  First, moral and religious training makes a difference. Youth groups need to do more than tell teens to say no to sex. They need to give them moral and religious reasons for abstinence. And since only 16 percent of churchgoers even read their Bible daily, it is time for all of us to make daily reading and meditation a practice. The Word of God is powerful in all our lives.

Second, parents should try very hard to work out their problems and stay together. Generally speaking, when kids grow up in two parent homes, they do better with risk behavior. Sexual experimenting is one of those behaviors. So if you are struggling with your marriage, get to marital counseling and fix things.

Finally, never underestimate the power of relationship with your teen. Even when a teen acts like he or she is not listening, the teen is absorbing your values and religious training. Keep talking and presenting the case for abstinence despite the discouraging messages we get from larger media. You, like God, make a difference in a teen’s life.