What do we say to girls who are making the decision about becoming sexually active? Here are some messages that might get through:
1) You don't have to sex if you don't want to, and you don't have to justify your decision to your boyfriend, your girlfriends, or anyone else. "No" is a complete sentence, and it doesn't require explanation. You are in charge of this choice.
2) You don't have to "prove your love" for anyone by indulging in risky behaviors, which include sex. Anyone who asks you to demonstrate your loyalty by putting yourself in a dangerous situation doesn't love you, no matter what he says. A boy who truly loves you puts your welfare before his own immediate desires.
3) You don't have to buy into the argument that everyone's doing it. Everyone isn't. Studies show that, overall, less than 50 percent of high school students have had sex, although the percentage rises above 50 percent by the junior and senior years. But that means that about 40 percent still aren't sexually active, and that's a lot of teens.
4) You do have to remember that the only foolproof birth control method is abstinence. You won't get pregnant, you won't expose yourself to sexually transmitted infections that may prevent you from having a baby when you want one, and you won't damage your reputation or lose your friends.
1) You don't have to sex if you don't want to, and you don't have to justify your decision to your boyfriend, your girlfriends, or anyone else. "No" is a complete sentence, and it doesn't require explanation. You are in charge of this choice.
2) You don't have to "prove your love" for anyone by indulging in risky behaviors, which include sex. Anyone who asks you to demonstrate your loyalty by putting yourself in a dangerous situation doesn't love you, no matter what he says. A boy who truly loves you puts your welfare before his own immediate desires.
3) You don't have to buy into the argument that everyone's doing it. Everyone isn't. Studies show that, overall, less than 50 percent of high school students have had sex, although the percentage rises above 50 percent by the junior and senior years. But that means that about 40 percent still aren't sexually active, and that's a lot of teens.
4) You do have to remember that the only foolproof birth control method is abstinence. You won't get pregnant, you won't expose yourself to sexually transmitted infections that may prevent you from having a baby when you want one, and you won't damage your reputation or lose your friends.