Good news re: young people and sex

Though more college students are sexually active than not -- apparently in the last few years there is a trend on that's becoming more popular for students NOT to have recreational sex, and wait for "THE one." Evidently, many youths are seeing the devasting effects of casual sex - and don't like what they see. This column is well worth a read - it starts:

"There’s a quiet revolution happening on the nation’s school and college campuses. While the students still live in a sex-saturated culture, and while researchers claim that at least 75 percent of college students are part of the “hook-up” generation, more and more students are opting out of the sex scene. It is far too early to declare a new trend, but there are encouraging signs of a new respect for abstinence and dating, instead of recreational sex.

Part of the change of attitude and behavior comes from college students seeing the consequences and repercussions of recreational sex. "

The article notes statistical details of all the fallout students are seeing from their friends who ARE sexually active and are paying for it with incressed depression, low self-esteem from giving it all away to someone who doesn't care, to the STDs students are now frightened of getting --- and the article notes many new books which preach abstinence and waiting for marriage -- with a nod to more healthy dating patterns where one doesn't feel compelled to hop in the sack with every "relationship." The article further notes new "Love and Fidelity Network" outreach programs which espouse waiting until marriage and notes chapters on many US college campuses, including some 2 dozen or so on high profile Universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Notre Dame.

Even younger teens are also starting to get the message, from some in the popular culture - American Idol Star Kelly Clarkson recent had release a song called "I don't hook up." And there are others promoting the same -- there's even a facebook page: Bring Back Dating.

Well worth a read.