Modeling appropriate attitudes toward sex seems to work too as the study found a parents' attitudes toward sex influenced their teens' own attitudes toward sex, and indirectly, their teens' behavior. But a parents' religious beliefs and attitudes toward sex did not directly influence teens' decisions to have sex. The study goes on to say when teens do have sex, their beliefs about the consequences of sexual activity become more positive but their religious views do not change.
The greatest predictor of whether teens would have sex was whether or not they were dating. This is regardless of their religious views or attitudes.
Sexual intercourse places teens at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. Parents can use this information to open up dialogs with their teens about their religious beliefs and how their teen's sexuality fits in with those beliefs. Most significantly why waiting to have sex is important. The information provided by the study can also prove important for health researchers and planners devising programs that help prevent teens from engaging in sexual activity.
"A better understanding of why religious adolescents are less likely to engage in early sexual intercourse may help in designing prevention programs for this behavior," said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD. The study used information from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a comprehensive survey of 90,000 seventh through twelfth graders. The survey measured the effects of family, peer group, school, neighborhood, religious institution, and community on behaviors that promote good health.
Source: National Institutes of Health
