by Clare Hopkins
While other college students are “hooking up” on the weekends, Joseph Doherty, of Bridgewater, is abstaining.
“My religion kind of frowns upon premarital sex,” said Doherty, 20, a Catholic.
Despite the “hookup” culture of college campuses, many students like Doherty are choosing to remain abstinent. This is can be a difficult choice to make because of the college atmosphere where casual sex is considered prevalent.
“I think it is wise for college kids to abstain from sex. There is so much going on in their lives during this time and the last thing they need is for something like an unplanned pregnancy. My advice would be to wait until you find someone you want to devote yourself to entirely,” said Doherty.
A growing number appear to be doing that. According to the Center for Disease Control, teens in 2002 were delaying sex later than teens in 1995. In 1995 the percentage of teen girls who had ever had sex was 38; in 2002 it had declined to 30. The percentage of males who had had sex declined from 55 percent to 46 percent from 1995 to 2002. The CDC also found that as college sexual activity has decreased, so has college age pregnancy.
Why have more students chosen the path of abstinence? It seems that, like Doherty, many students abstain because of their religion.
Jeremy Bragg, 19, of Bridgewater says although he doesn’t consider himself very religious, it still has a strong impact on his choice to abstain from sex.
“I think religion taught me more of self restraint and gave a better understanding to my values,” said Bragg.
Rachel Files, 20, of Duxbury, said though religion does not impact her decisions with sexual activity, she can see how it influences others.
“I think that it depends on values [whether you abstain from sex], and often times religious views. I think it is hard but possible to abstain if that's what you want to do. But I also think it is up to the person,” said Files.
Besides religion, Bragg cites more general reasons for abstaining.
“I don't really think sex is just something to do at parties or one night stands or whatever the case may be,” said Bragg.
Though these students are abstaining, they do not support the abstinence only education that is being taught in many schools.
“I think there should be safe sex education, whether your going to be abstinent or not is up to the individual so I wouldn’t have abstinence only education. I don’t think it would benefit much. A kid is going to have sex if he or she wants to,” said Doherty.
“Abstinence only education doesn’t do anything but make people more interested in why they aren’t supposed to do something,” said Bragg.
“When I was in high school, the program was not abstinence only, but now it has changed. My little brothers are getting the abstinence only education and I don’t think it's good. We learned about the options and consequences of all the choices we had. Now my brothers are only learning about one path. They know the other option, so you might as well teach them about the consequences. They are teenagers, they have hormones, many are going to choose the other path whether you teach them or not. I don't think it is effective because it is not going to prevent kids from abstaining completely,” said Files.
Sean Scanlan, 20, from Holbrook, said he believes abstinence only education is not effective.
“Teenagers always want to push the rules of society. If there was more education about practicing safe sex and choosing a partner you trust, then I think the risks of sex like pregnancy or STDs would be reduced and the whole point of abstaining is to eliminate those risks,” said Scanlan.
Planned Parenthood which promotes safe sex education says abstinence only education is not only useless but harmful.
According to Planned Parenthood, abstinence-only education often gives out misinformation and is ineffective in preventing teen pregnancies and STD’s. There is hardly any evidence that teenagers who go through in abstinence-only programs abstain from sex longer than those who are not in the programs.
However, it is known that when they do become sexually active, teens who were part of abstinence-only education often do not use condoms or other contraception.
But money is available for this program. From 1996 until 2006 more than $1.5 billion in federal and state funds have been spent on abstinence-only programs. There is a requirement that the state match federal dollars for abstinence only programs. Now state dollars that supported safe sex education, which also includes abstinence education, are being spent only on abstinence education.
According to a study Bearman and Brueckner in 2001 and Walters in 2005, 88 percent of students who pledged to remain virgins in middle school or high school still had premarital sex. Students who break this pledge are less likely to use contraceptives the first time they have sex.
On the other hand, sex education that is more comprehensive has shown better results. Students in these programs do not engage in sexual activity more often or earlier than those in abstinence only programs. They are more likely to use contraception the first time they have sex and are consistent in practicing safe sex.
Rep. Henry Waxman from California, released a report about abstinence-only programs in 2004. It found that the curricula used by two-thirds of abstinence-only programs contain misleading and sometimes inaccurate information about abortion, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Not all college students are abstaining however, and don’t believe others students should have to abstain if they don’t want to.
“If they believe it is a good choice [to have sex] then I don't think they should abstain,” said Files.
“I think in college it’s hard for people to abstain from sex. It’s almost expected that when people go out, they will drink, and drinking causes a lot of pressure to participate in sexual activities. Also in a relationship, you practically live with the person you are dating, so the relationship moves a lot more quickly than dating someone who is not living with you.”
Files also said it is difficult for college students to abstain because of the actions of their peers.
“It is dangerous though because of the pressure. Many people may give in to it and go against what they believe it in and think is ok.”
“I don’t think college kids should abstain from sex. We all have urges from our hormones and I don’t think sex is a bad thing. The only thing that makes it difficult is the fact that virtually everyone on campus lives with a roommate which can make privacy difficult. I think as long as people practice save sex than abstaining is useless. An environment like college with no parents around is just very inviting to have sex,” said Scanlan.
chopkins@student.stonehill.edu
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