The viability of abstinence in an inner city adolescent population.

The purpose of our study was to investigate the different variables that lead teenagers to have sex, the psychological consequences they face as a result of having sex, and the viability of abstinence as an alternative. We used an anonymous self-administered questionnaire to address such issues as age of first intercourse and influence of family, peers, and physical consequences (ie, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS). Our research concluded that not only are teens having sexual intercourse at early ages, but that this early experience may be having detrimental consequences on their levels of self-esteem. We propose that the adolescent's search for identity is a strong motivational factor in engaging in sexual intercourse at an early age, and that delaying first coitus or choosing abstinence as a birth control method can be both empowering and ego-enhancing for the teenage client.