Safe Dating & Abstinence

Does there seem to be a conflict between teaching abstinence and teaching about safe sex? One way to resolve the conflict is to say, "You aren't old enough to engage in sexual intimacy now. But when the time does come, these are the ways to keep yourself safe and healthy..."

Dating Violence Against Girls: Researchers from the Harvard Public School of Heath report that 1 in 5 of 4,163 young girls surveyed had been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. The results also indicated that girls who reported being abused also were more likely to have attempted suicide, become pregnant, used cocaine, and engaged in unhealthy methods of dieting. The study was published in the August 1, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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