True love waits: do Southern Baptists? Premarital sexual behavior among newly married Southern Baptist Sunday school students

J Relig Health. 2013 Mar;52(1):263-75. doi: 10.1007/s10943-010-9445-5. Epub 2011 Jan 28.

Abstract

This study measures premarital sex prevalence, sources of sex education, and support for secular sex education among 151 newly married young adults surveyed at 9 Texas Southern Baptist churches. More than 70% of respondents reported having had premarital vaginal or oral sex, but more than 80% regretted premarital sex. The proportion of premarital sex exceeded 80% in 6 of 9 churches, among men and women married after age 25 and women married before age 21. School sex education was the only source of information about sexually transmitted infections for 57% of respondents, and 65% supported secular sex education despite church opposition.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Love*
  • Male
  • Protestantism / psychology*
  • Religion and Psychology*
  • Religion and Sex*
  • Sex Education
  • Sexual Behavior*
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / psychology
  • Spouses / psychology*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Texas
  • Young Adult