Agenda Clear in Premarital Sex Survey
by Wendy Cloydcitizenlink.org
Pro-family experts dispute findings, conclusions of report that seeks to normalize unhealthy sexual behavior. Family advocates are questioning the results of – and the agenda behind – a survey released this week by the Guttmacher Institute claiming that 95 percent of Americans have engaged in sex outside of marriage. The study, published in Public Health Reports, purported to examine how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over time. It is based on interviews with more than 38,000 people over two decades for the federal National Survey of Family Growth. According to Lawrence Finer, author of the study, 99 percent of the respondents reported having had sex by age 44, and 95 percent reported having had sex outside of marriage. Among a subgroup that did not engage in sexual activity until at least age 20, four-fifths reported having premarital sex by age 44. “This is reality-check research,” Finer said. “Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades.” The results, he added, call into question whether the federal government should fund abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-year-olds. But Linda Klepacki, analyst for sexual health at Focus on the Family Action, said the motive behind the Guttmacher report is suspect, especially given the group’s close affiliation with Planned Parenthood. “This is the condom cartel’s attempt at normalizing out-of-wedlock sexual behavior,” she said. “This is one in a series of documents that is designed to set the battle lines for January’s congressional battles over (funding for) sex education.” Glenn Stanton, senior analyst for marriage and sexuality at Focus on the Family, questioned the method used to collect the data. “These numbers seem a little high to me,” he said. “Additionally, what they don’t tell us is how active people were before marriage. Were most of these encounters among people who were engaged or were they simply casual hook-ups? We don’t know.” More than anything, though, Stanton is distressed by the author’s implication that since so many people are doing it, it must be fine. “What did each one of our mothers tell us?” he asked. “Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t make it OK.” Dr. Bill Maier, psychologist in residence at Focus on the Family, confirmed Stanton’s — and his mother’s — sentiments. “The fact that a high percentage of individuals are engaging in a particular behavior doesn’t indicate that it’s healthy or wise,” he said. “Sixty-one percent of American adults are overweight or obese — but just because most people are eating high-fat foods and not exercising doesn’t mean we should encourage our kids to embrace obesity.” Stanton said the study ignores consistent research findings over the last few decades that prove the most sexually satisfied people today are faithfully married men and women who come to marriage with no previous sexual experience. “What is more, sexual satisfaction tends to decline along with an increase in the number of different sexual partners one has had in a lifetime,” Stanton noted. “In sex, practice doesn’t make perfect — at least with different partners.” Finer’s assertion that schools should forgo abstinence education and simply teach “safe-sex” practices because premarital sex is normal, expected behavior, Klepacki said, is not the way to protect teens and young adults. “We have an epidemic of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in this country — especially in the teen population,” she said. “We should be doing everything we can to prevent sexual behavior in our teens.” Maier said Planned Parenthood and its colleagues at the Guttmacher Institute have a responsibility to give teens all the facts about premarital sex. “Condoms don’t protect against all sexuality transmitted diseases,” he said. They don’t protect against the psychological ramifications of premarital sex, either, Maier added. “Girls who are sexually active experience a higher incidence of clinical depression,” he said, “and women who’ve had multiple sexual partners report the highest levels of sexual dysfunction.” Klepacki added that is exactly why abstinence-until-marriage education is vital to the well-being of the nation’s youth. “We want every child to be able to work toward their future goals and dreams,” she said, “without illness impeding those efforts.” FOR MORE INFORMATION In And the Bride Wore White, best-selling author Dannah Gresh shares the seven most important secrets to sexual purity. She challenges young women to set and maintain high standards, to value their virginity and to make a commitment to Christ for a sexually pure lifestyle. http://resources.family.org/product/and+the+bride+wore+white.do?search=basic&keyword=abstinence&sortby=shortdesc&asc=true&page=1
