The Silver Ring Thing

[Diva]

The Silver Ring Thing is a program in the US that encourages teenagers to abstain from sex until they get married. They basically promise not to have pre-marital sex and wear a ring that symbolises their promise. It's supposedly had considerable success over there. I remember watching this guy on TV a few months back from Texas who was preaching abstinence. His methods were hilarious. To illustrate the effects of promiscuity (or 'multiple partners' for those who think promiscuity sounds too cheap :rolleyes: ) he compared a person 'who's been around' with a used toothbrush!! He was trying to make the point that no one wants to go near either one. I must say I'm not President Bush's biggest fan but this is 1 thing I gotta give him credit for cuz it's one of the things he stands for.

I think it's funny how this is now seen as a great idea and all sorts of ppl are coming up with stats about the negative effects of teens having sex (STDs, unwanted pregnancies, abortions...etc and that's apart from the emotional side of things) but when muslims always insisted that ppl should wait until they're married before having sex, Islam was being 'unreasonable' or 'unrealistic' and its reasons for this prohibition were 'unconvincing' :duh: Kinda makes you wonder...

Any thoughts?

[Arabian Princess]

very intresting Diva!!

as I beleive insisting on abstaining from sex until gets married would solve many problems in the US ..

it would be great if you have any statistics of the percentage of people who does that?

[Diva]

These statistics are from the Silver Ring Thing website:

- Of the more than 15 million new STD infections each year, two thirds will occur in people under 25 years of age and one in four will occur in teenagers.

- A British study found that HPV (a type of STD) infects 46% of teenage girls after their first sexual intercourse.

- HPV is directly linked to 99.7% of all cervical cancers. Nearly as many women die of cervical cancer each year as die of AIDS.

- Nearly 1 in 10 teen girls has chlamydia; nearly half of all cases are girls 15-19 years old.

- More than 40% of American girls become pregnant at least once by age 20. :eyes:

- Half of all single mothers on welfare were teenagers when they had their first child.

- Fewer than one third of teen mothers ever finish high school.

- More than one third of 9th graders have had sexual intercourse.

- More than half of 12th graders have had sexual intercourse.

- More than 50% of 8th graders and 80% of 12th graders have tried alcohol. One third of 14-21 year old girls who became pregnant, reported that they had been drinking when they had sex.

- New studies show that clinical depression in adolescent boys and girls is related to sexual activity and drinking.

- Eight in ten girls and six in ten boys who were sexually active say that they wish they had waited until they were older.

- 33% of 8-11 year olds :eyes: :scary: :Shock: and 49% of 12-15 year olds said that pressure to have sex is a "big problem" for them.

There are more here (http://www.silverringthing.com/statistics.html)

I'll try to look up some stats about the number of ppl that've joined the program and how successful it's been.

[Arabian Princess]

- More than one third of 9th graders have had sexual intercourse.

- 33% of 8-11 year olds and 49% of 12-15 year olds said that pressure to have sex is a "big problem" for them.


reading this .. my bro came on my mind .. I cant imgine somone at his age would actually think of SEX!! :eek:

[Diva]

Originally posted by Arabian Princess
I cant imgine somone at his age would actually think of SEX!! :eek:

I didn't even know what the hell that was until I was well into my teens! That's another thing. Quite a few ppl say that kids (specially girls) as young as 10 and 12 are way too young to be segregated and girls are too young to be wearing the hijab and start to take their religious obligations seriously. On my hand I kinda agree but if there are 8-year-olds running around feeling the pressure to have sex, is ANYONE too young anymore!!!

[Enigma]

reading this .. my bro came on my mind .. I cant imgine somone at his age would actually think of SEX!!

Same here (thank god my parents live in Oman).

But over here its a different story, the media is all about sex Arby. And children are learning about it at a REALLY young age. If you have sex over here (note its mostly not vaginal though, they do all the other stuff apparently) you are 'cool'! :duh:

Anyways, I think the silver ring thing is a great idea. Bush is a conservative so it doesn't surprise me that he supports this.

Of late I think its becoming less of a taboo to be a virgin here. After the 70s and 80s where the sex explosion came out we seem to be headed backwards again. Plus when you have Britneys and Jessicas all over the media (that two sided knife) it encourages other people as well.

[IceTea]

And the problem is that arabs are following the boyfriend girlfriend theory which is famous in the west. And the result will be like:


More than 40% of American girls become pregnant at least once by age 20.

[NaBHaN]

Originally posted by IceTea
And the problem is that arabs are following the boyfriend girlfriend theory which is famous in the west. And the result will be like:

just cause someone might have a bf/gf doesnt mean that they have to HAVE SEX! think out of ur little box ice tea.