virginity pledges

There's a lot to laugh about in the Catholic sex prayer, but there's also something serious here.

How long is sex education going to be marginalized, hindered, or just ignored?

My daughter could only get extra credit if she attended an abstinence-only-until-marriage program. And despite dozens of my phone calls, the school board doesn't care.

A recent study of virginity pledgers suggests the movement is a means to reassure parents rather than actually influencing the choices teens make for themselves.

Back from the break, with an interview with a co-editor of a new anti-rape anthology, evidence that virginity pledges are bad for kids, and concerns about the economic downturn and women's safety.

Follow Amanda Marcotte on Twitter, @amandamarcotte

Shocking News! Yet another study finds that virginity pledges promoted by abstinence-only programs don't work. How much longer will strapped taxpayers be forced to shell out $1.5 billion for programs that actually endanger teen health?

I think I’ve figured it out. The abstinence-only/virginity pledging until marriage/promising purity to your father crowd actually has no illusions that it won’t all turn out exactly the way it did with Bristol Palin.

In one fell swoop, President Bush tells children he won't ensure they receive health care - but he will make sure they're at risk for sexually transmitted infections as a result of the abstinence-only programs his administration will continue to fund.