Monday, December 29, 2008
Sex / News Lemon Pledge
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Surprise—virginity pledges don't work!
Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely to use condoms and other forms of birth control when they do, according to a study released today.The new analysis of data from a large federal survey found that more than half of youths became sexually active before marriage regardless of whether they had taken a "virginity pledge," but that the percentage who took precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points lower for pledgers than for non-pledgers.
"Taking a pledge doesn't seem to make any difference at all in any sexual behavior," said Janet E. Rosenbaum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose report appears in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics. "But it does seem to make a difference in condom use and other forms of birth control that is quite striking."
I consider condom and birth control use to be aspects of sexual behavior, so it seems to me that virginity pledges do make a difference—a negative one, a harmful one. It's time to level with America's moms and dads: It's unlikely that your kids will save themselves until marriage—you didn't, why should they? But if you want to make sure your kids arrive at the altar with a history of STIs and a baby or two in tow... by all means coerce them into taking that "virginity pledge."
Speaking of virginity pledges... wasn't Bristol & Levi's baby due on December 20th? Where's the newest edition to the Palin clan?
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3
Can't you renew your virginity pledge right after sex? I think if you get it in before 30 minutes, it's still valid.
4
This just in: Dan Savage shoots pit bull for talking on cell phone in movie theatre during matinee showing of Milk. Details at 11!
5
I mention things like this to my conservative, fundamentalist christian, narrow-minded co-worker occasionally.
He always replies the same way: "Other studies show that that's not true."
We can discuss any of the hot-button issues and his reply is always the same. Whether one chooses one's sexual orientation or not, whether sex-ed need be taught in school or not, whether the free-market is a fuck-up or just needs more time to work.
"Other studies show that that's not true."
How do you fight such a counter-argument? How do you get past the blinders of dogma?
You're preaching to the choir here. But ntil you can break through the dogma barrier, you can't reach the people like my co-worker, the people that need to hear the message.
He always replies the same way: "Other studies show that that's not true."
We can discuss any of the hot-button issues and his reply is always the same. Whether one chooses one's sexual orientation or not, whether sex-ed need be taught in school or not, whether the free-market is a fuck-up or just needs more time to work.
"Other studies show that that's not true."
How do you fight such a counter-argument? How do you get past the blinders of dogma?
You're preaching to the choir here. But ntil you can break through the dogma barrier, you can't reach the people like my co-worker, the people that need to hear the message.
6
You could always ask to see these "other studies". Chances are, if they even exist at all, they were done by the American Family Association, or other such biased groups, and are easily discredited.
7
I bet the cause behind the lack of condom/birth control use has more to do with abstinence-only sex ed. I wouldn't be surprised if virginity pledges were more highly concentrated in areas that don't allow comprehensive sex ed. However, I doubt that taking a virginity pledge in and of itself causes a significant portion of kids to be idiots.
8
Part of the absolute evil brilliance of the conservative movement was the creation of think tanks like Heritage and Discovery, who constantly pump out bogus "studies" that can be used to contradict the work of real scientists and scholars.
9
"Rosenbaum attributed the difference to what youths learn about condoms in abstinence-focused programs."
nm, already in the analysis.
nm, already in the analysis.
11
@7, Virginity pledges have a direct effect on the use, or the lack there of birth control, and safer sex practices. Kids who pledge to stay virgins are less likely to have, condoms or other types of contraception because they are not planning sexual encounters, but they are just as likely to have sex.
12
They are still studying this? How many times do they have to arrive at the same conclusion before people get it through their thick retarded skulls?
13
@11. Agreed. If you plan for sex by ensuring you have condoms or other forms of birth control, then having sex was a conscious decision. You have consciously violated your virginity pledge.
Whereas, if you don’t make that conscious decision, it is something that “just happens”. You didn’t “mean to” have sex (you didn’t make a bad decision), you just got carried away.
Whereas, if you don’t make that conscious decision, it is something that “just happens”. You didn’t “mean to” have sex (you didn’t make a bad decision), you just got carried away.
16
I think Dan has a term for this sort of sexual decision-making: "How'd that happen?" In the context of Savage Love it usually refers to people who won't own up to their own preferences -- "Next thing I knew I'm getting blown in an airport bathroom -- how'd that happen?" -- but I suspect this sort of management-by-crisis approach is more common among people who have been inculcated with a high degree of sexual shame. It's almost as if the fundamentalist mindset, by actively discouraging critical thinking, is forcing these kids into the habit of acting without forethought.
I'd be curious to see if the same kids who take virginity pledges and then don't honor them showed any differences in non-sexual decision-making: Are they more likely to be roped into three-card monty games? More likely to still believe in Santa? More likely to take out a high-interest loan? More likely to vote for a Republican?
I'd be curious to see if the same kids who take virginity pledges and then don't honor them showed any differences in non-sexual decision-making: Are they more likely to be roped into three-card monty games? More likely to still believe in Santa? More likely to take out a high-interest loan? More likely to vote for a Republican?
18
Flamingbanjo is right – I forgot about the “how’d that happen” thing in Savage Love. It all goes back to, if you want to have sex, you are a slut/bad person. If you actively decide to have sex, you are a slut/bad person. If you take control of your sex life, you are a slut/bad person. This is what abstinence-only education, virginity pledges, and no-sex until marriage religious dogma teaches us. And STIs and unplanned pregnancies are the result.
19
"This just in: Dan Savage shoots pit bull for talking on cell phone in movie theatre during matinee showing of Milk. Details at 11!"
you're not funny anymore, jubilation.
you're not funny anymore, jubilation.
20
Education, education, education. Information, true information, is always a good thing. People who think ignorance is a good thing lead to disaster every time. Just look at our current President.
21
Dude, don't be a dick. It is perfectly normal for babies to be born several days past their due date. That said, once it's two weeks past the due date the baby is considered overdue and the doctors will induce labor, so once it's two weeks and two days (to allow for the possibility of protracted labor) past Dec. 20 you can start asking where it is.
27
@19,
I'm not jubilation (sic) anymore, scary. Never was, in fact. Forget your little pilly-pill again this morning?
I'm not jubilation (sic) anymore, scary. Never was, in fact. Forget your little pilly-pill again this morning?
28
I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere, but it looks like the baby is alive and well.
"Tripp," if you can fucking believe it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/29…
"Tripp," if you can fucking believe it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/29…
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