By: Zandra Floirendo

 Premarital sex, which is engaging in any type of sexual activity before marriage, is one of the most pertinent problems in society  These acts include, but are not limited to, oral sex and intercourse

 Sex is no longer a taboo subject  The youth of today views sex as pleasurable with little or no consequence  This leads to degradation and weakening of self respect

 Media influences almost every aspect of life  Movies, shows and even commercials portray sex and teenage pregnancy in an almost positive light  Today’s society needs to stop glorifying shows such as “The Jersey Shore”, “Bad Girls Club”, and “Teen Mom”

 A mentality which encourages people to act on impulses without thinking about later consequences  Perspective which states that sex should be engaged in strictly for pleasure with almost no restrictions

 In essence ethics is the morals and virtues one has and follows  The Catholic Church states that sexual union is to be between a married man and woman, so therefore participating in premarital sex is breaking moral laws

 Scripture advocates only sexual union in a marriage  For Example: “God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it’ “ (Genesis 1:28)

 The Catechism states that premarital sex employs the exact opposite of what the goal of sex is supposed to be “Fornication is gravely contrary to human sexuality exists for the good of spouses and procreation of children. A grave scandal exists when the young are corrupted in this matter” (Six Sins Against Chastity)

 Premarital sex may not seem to be a “big deal” but it can cause many types of harm  Physical, emotional, and psychological scarring usually occurs  Emotions and consequences can be extremely difficult to deal with  It can also lead to pregnancy, abortion, financial trouble, STDs or AIDS, and many other tribulations

 Over 25% of sexually active girls (14-17) report being depressed  A rate that is 3 times more than that of girls who are not sexually active  14.3% of sexually active girls attempt suicide  72% of sexually active girls regret becoming sexually active or wished they waited longer

 8.3% of sexually boys (14-17) report being depressed  A rate that is 2 times greater than that of boys who are not sexually active  6% of sexually active boys attempt suicide  A rate that is 8 times greater than that of boys who are not sexually active  55% of sexually active boys regret becoming sexually active or wish they waited longer

 Premarital sex can lead to pregnancy which in turn can lead to abortion, which is sinful  It can also lead to destructive acts such as “cutting” or even suicide attempts  Social issues occur which affect the community

 Catholic Social Teaching states that sex is to be engaged by married couples not only too bear and raise children but for the betterment of the community.  People don’t think about it but problems such as pregnancy can cause financial problems throughout the community

 Artificially made barriers for preventing pregnancy  Condoms, birth control pill, hormone injections, etc.  Since premarital sex has become more problematic, the use of contraceptives has become more of an issue  Contraceptives are seen as an easy way out of the consequences of sex

 Takes away the sense of responsibility of actions  It is also against Catholic ethics because one of the sole purposes of sex is to procreate and using contraceptives essentially stops the couple from achieving that goal  The Church is Pro-life and the use of contraceptives is stopping that natural creation

 NFP is a contraceptive method based on the woman’s menstrual cycle and ovulation cycle  A woman is only fertile a few days of the month  Other than abstinence, NFP is the only form of contraception that is not found sinful by the Catholic Church

 This method is ideal because it creates opportunities for communication and cooperation  If follows strictly, NFP has a 95% success rate  It is cost free and has no side affects to either partner

 NFP enables growth in a marriage because it increases shared responsibility “While artificial methods of contraception place the burden of responsibility primarily on women, NFP encourages intimate communication between spouses as they cooperate in fertility awareness and responsible family planning.” (Practice of NFP Versus the use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual, and Moral Issues)

 Premarital sex can ultimately lead to terrible consequences not just for the two people engaging in it but also for their families and the larger community  Artificial contraception only advocate and condone these irresponsible actions  Waiting until you are married is the only way to avoid the hardships of unwanted pregnancy, the contraction of diseases, etc.