Should people remain virgins until they are married? This question is very controversial in today's society. Parents don't want to encourage their children to have sex outside of marriage for many reasons, the most common being teen pregnancy. However, sex has become a more open topic in the last decade. The world we live in has no problem talking about sex openly. Sex scenes are shown on TV and in movies and people hardly think twice about it. We now have shows like 16 & pregnant that show what it's like to face the "consequences" of sex at a young age. 

 Some parents know that their kids are likely to have sex and say that as long as their children are using protection then that's all the parents can hope for. 61% of teens are sexually active by age 18. If they know that their kids are going to be sexually active anyway, the most they can do is teach them about safe sex. 

The question of remaining a virgin until marriage is something that is most directly linked to a persons morals or religious beliefs. The Catholic Church believes that you should not lose your virginity until you are married. Sex is a sacred act between a husband and a wife and it's meant for "love and not lust." Psychologists say that teens who are sexually active at a young age can have negative psychological consequences. These include regret, loss of self- respect and self- esteem, worries about pregnancy, and stunting of personal development.

Another reason people advocate virginity until marriage is the less likelihood of contracting an STD. Each year, 1 in 4 teens contracts an STD. The more sexual partners you have the more likely you are to contract some type of STD which can be very harmful to your body and very easily spread through sexual contact. If you save your virginity until marriage, it is most likely that you will not contract an STD because both people are virgins and have not had sexual contact with another person. There's a lot of health benefits that come with only having one sexual partner.

At the same time, sex also has a lot of health benefits. It relieves stress and can be a great workout. It's something that can be enjoyed between two people when the time is right. Most couples say that intimacy is one of the key parts of their relationship. Most healthy relationships center around intimacy. 

Regardless of the facts, sex now plays a key role in our society and each person is in control of their own sex life.