[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
two and a half million adolescents have taken public "virginity" pledges,
in which they promise to abstain from
>sex until marriage. This paper explores the effect of virginity pledges on
the transition to first intercourse. On
>one hand, we show that adolescents who pledge, controlling for all of the
usual characteristics of adolescents
>and their social contexts that are associated with the transition to sex,
are much less likely than adolescents who
>do not pledge, to have intercourse. The delay effect is substantial and
almost impossible to erase.
And I will reply in public, that numbers like 2,000,000 represent an
extraordinary claim that is very hard to scientifically verify. How many of
these adolescents actually follow through?
I would like to see some realistic numbers on this. Otherwise this is just
an unsubstantiated claim.
Nancy Melucci
ELAC
