Young adults who take virginity pledges as adolescents are as likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases as those who do not take virginity pledges, Yale and Columbia University researchers report in the March 18 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Virginity pledges may even encourage higher risk sexual behavior among young adults, say study authors Hannah Brückner, assistant professor of sociology at Yale, and Peter Bearman, professor of sociology at Columbia.

"We were surprised by the findings," says Brückner. "Pledgers have fewer sex partners than non-pledgers, they start having sex later, and they marry earlier, so they should have lower STD rates, but they don't."

One reason is that sexually active pledgers are less likely than non-pledgers to use condoms during their first sexual experience. Because most pledgers eventually become sexually active (88% of the pledgers), lower rates of condom use increases their STD risk. Brückner and Bearman also note that pledgers were less likely to seek and obtain STD-related health care, possibly because of increased stigmatization or misperception of infection risk among pledgers. Because pledgers are less likely to be diagnosed and treated for STD infections, they may be more likely to have those infections for longer periods than non-pledgers, say the scientists.

"If pledgers have infections for longer periods of time than non-pledgers, this is a reason for concern," says Brückner. The authors say even though pledgers used condoms at the same rate as non-pledgers at the time of their last interview, the fact that they were less likely to use condoms earlier could be why their STD rates remain high, since they are less likely to be diagnosed.

"Putting a condom on after getting an infection does not make the infection go away," notes Brückner.

Pledging may lead some young adults to engage in alternative sexual behaviors in order to preserve their virginity. Among virgins -- those who have not had vaginal intercourse -- male pledgers are four times more likely to have anal sex; male and female pledgers are six times more likely to have oral sex than non-pledgers. Condom use for anal sex is very low; for oral sex, it is almost non-existent. Therefore, Brückner says, virgin pledger engagement in riskier behavior may be a factor in their higher-than-expected STD rates.

The authors add, "Pledgers who are married have the same STD rates as non-pledgers who are married. Marriage does not cause STDs; unprotected sex does. Knowing how to protect oneself from STDs is important. Since most adolescents and young adults will have sex, it is important that public health policies are designed to help young people gain the information they need to protect themselves, and others."

-- By Karen Peart

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