General Article Abstinence pledges increase risk of STDs and pregnancy in young women

Topic Selected: Sexual Health & STIs
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By Léa Surugue

Young women who break an abstinence pledge may be more at risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than peers who have never taken such a pledge in the first place, scientists claim. In the United States, about 12% of adolescent girls vow not to have sex before marriage, but up to 88% of them end up breaking this promise.

In a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, scientists have analysed the health data of more than 20,000 American...

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