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Dating: Getting to KnowYou

experienceintheirpast.Bythetimeteens
arecollegeage,85%of boysand77%of
girlshaveparticipatedinsexualintercourse.
Thatratehassteadilydroppedto48%of
boysand45%of girlsin2003(Kaiser
FamilyFoundation,2005).AColumbia
Universitystudyfoundteenagerswho
pledgedtoremainsexuallyabstinentuntil
marriagewere34%lesslikelytohavesex
thanthosewhodidnottakevirginityvows.
Forthoseteenagerswhodidnotkeeptheir
pledges,virginityvowsdelayedsexual
intercourseby18monthscomparedto
non-pledgers(Bearman&Brückner,2001).
Eventhoughrateshavebeenfalling,
teenstodayexperiencegreatpressuretobe
sexuallyactive.Still,manyteensfeelvery
uncomfortableabouthavingsexbeforethey
arereadytomarry.TheAlanGuttmacher
Institute(2006)foundabout10%of
sexuallyactivewomen,ages18to24,who
hadsexbeforeage20reportedtheirfirst
sexualintercoursewasunwanted.The
youngeragirl’sageatherfirstsexual
experience,thehighertheprobabilityitwas
aforcedact(GuttmacherInstitute,2006).
Alcohol,drugs,orfatigueoftenlower
teenagers’resistancetoparticipatein
behaviortheylaterregret.Asstoriesabout
thedisappointmentsof teensexbeginto
circulate,attitudesarechanging,andmore
teensarestartingtobelievepremaritalsexis
wrongorareatleastpostponingtheirfirst
sexualexperience.
Therateof teenpregnancydropped
20%from1990to2005(seeFigure4.1)

(U.S.CensusBureau,2008b). Researchers

attribute20%of thisdeclinetodecreased

sexualbehavioramongteens.Theother

80%of thedeclineisduetothemore

effectiveuseof contraceptivesamongteens

(AlanGuttmacherInstitute,2006).The

ratesof premaritalsexaredropping,butin

aculturefilledwithsexualmessages,

premaritalsexisstillverycommon.

Howdowecomparewithothernations?

Figure4.2indicatestheratesof teensexin

theUnitedStatesarecomparabletoother

Westernnations.However,Figure4.3

indicatesthat,intheUnitedStates,teensex

ismuchmorelikelytoresultinpregnancy

andabortion.Althoughcontraceptiveuse

amongteenshasincreaseddramatically

overthepast20years,itisstillnotashighas

inotherindustrializednations.Thishelps

explainwhytherateof abortionissohigh

intheUnitedStates,despitetheobjections

of manychurchesandfaith-based

organizations.

Attitudes toward premarital sex.

Americansasawholehavebecomemore

acceptingof premaritalsex.In2008,61%of

thesampledadultsbelievedpremaritalsex

waspermissiblecomparedto53%in2001

(Saad,2008).Amongteenagers,36%hada

positiveattitudetowardpremaritalsex

while37%hadanegativeattitudeand27%

expressednoopinion.Thisisdespitethe

factthatnearly52%of adolescentsinthe

studyindicatedtheyhadengagedin

premaritalsex(Martin,Specter,Martin,&

Martin,2003).