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Category: Youth Prevention Initiatives

Seventy eight percent of West Virginia ninth grade students are abstaining from sex.  Yet, this percentage drops to 32% for twelfth grade students.  We are missing a great opportunity.

Youth who are abstaining from sex can serve as a great resource who can encourage their peers to make right choices.  Youth who are not sexually active enjoy helping their peers as a peer counselor.  They also gain speaking skills and a mutual support group.

 There are many benefits for youth who decide to wait to have sex.  Here are a few:

 There were 2920 teen pregnancies in West Virginia in the most recent reporting year (2013), and 1416 births in 2017.   These births cost taxpayers $37,953,000.  Why not leverage the positive message that can be given to peers by youths who are abstaining from sex.  Such a program will pay for itself and save taxpayers countless dollars.