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How Teens Deal With… Abstinence or Not, That’s the Question
by Meagan Richardson
January 24, 2007

This is my new column in which I will discuss my thoughts and your (the readers) thoughts on certain topics dealing with today’s teen life. For those who do not know me, I am a very opinionated person, and I have decided to write a series of articles dealing with these issues. My hopes for this column are that they will make you think, spark creativity, and give you insight on how your peers feel about certain subjects.

A major teen issue that I hear conversed about on a regular basis is the decision of rather to be abstinent or to not wait. At first I was stumped about how to approach the topic of so I decided to ask my peers (other female students) for help and someone suggested the idea of a questionnaire.  Out of all the questionnaires distributed, I only received one back stating that she had not abstained and several back stating they have.  So I randomly asked other students the same questions omitting the actual writing part itself.   The questionnaire helped me dramatically with my first article, “How Teens Deal With… Abstinence or Not, That’s the Question”.

Peers who said they chose to abstain to this day had many reasons to remain this way. Reasons such as, not a priority at the moment and not wanting to be labeled “easy” were among the most frequent. Others just believed they were not ready and plan on abstaining for some time. Either they are waiting for that someone, or maybe they are just waiting period.

The one other person admitted to not abstaining on the questionnaire. She said the reason behind her decision was a spur of the moment thing and that her plans were otherwise. She also mentioned peer pressure being involved.

Others said it just happened. Some worried about STDs and getting pregnant. However, did they use prevention? Some did. Still there is the slight chance. The condoms can break and birth control is only so effective. Abstinence may remain the only sure solution. Some even expressed regret about their decision not to wait.

To abstain or not? People have been dealing with this issue for ages. In this day in age, does it really matter? Why do people choose to wait or not to wait? I guess it depends on the person, because reasons behind these decisions are one’s own.   Some people wish to abstain due to not wanting to be labeled as “easy”, while others are pressured by their peers or simply just have chosen not to abstain. The decision to wait or not is a heavy issue for some, while to others it simply does not matter.