Reply #8: Sadly, abstinance as a form of birth control has a miserable failure rate.

[Felix Mala]

I'd say somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. If condoms or the pill performed that poorly they couldn't be marketed for pregnancy prevention. Kids who are taught abstinance only are less likely to use any kind of protection when they do become sexually active. I agree kids are pelted with sexual messages. I don't know what can be done about that, but leaving them unprotected isn't a solution.

My mom has a catholic friend with 20 grandchildren who were taught abstinance only. Over the years, nine have had children. None of them married the babies' fathers. And the poor woman has yet to attend a wedding for any of her granchildren even though she's a grandmother many times over.