title: Examining the prospective effects of making a virginity pledge among males across their 4 years of college.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined prospective associations of making a virginity pledge on sexual behaviors among male college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 795 males was followed for 4 years (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), with response rates ranging from 72% to 82% across the follow-up years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Males were surveyed at the end of each of their 4 years in college about sexual behavior activities and other risky behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate regression analyses indicated that males who made private virginity pledges were significantly more likely to remain abstinent across all 4 years of college and have fewer sexual partners at the end of their third and fourth years of college, even after controlling for age, race, high-risk drinking, impulsivity, and religiosity. Making a pledge was not related to condom use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that abstinence-based messages alone are not sufficient yet should be included as part of comprehensive sex education programs.
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA.
authors: Samantha
authors: S
authors: Williams
authors: Martie P
authors: MP
authors: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult