A study that began during the 1994-95 academic year recently ended, finding that while sexually active teens who have casual sex tend to do poorer in school, teens in committed relationships do no better or worse in school than those who don’t have sex.  Now, the Free Press Staff faces off on this touchy issue.

Wait Untill Marriage. – 4 votes

My first encounter with someone I knew my age having sex happened in the seventh grade.
Since then, it has become more and more normal. In the past five years I have watched many people I know, including some of my best friends, make the decision to have sex.
There have been varied outcomes; I know some people who have no regrets and thought they were ready. Others, however, have either broken up with the person they had sex with or just had a bad experience.
Having observed all of these different situations, I decided that it would be best to wait until marriage to have sex. That’s not my only reason, but I really want to make sure that I don’t regret my first time.
I personally feel like, especially at this age, too many things can go wrong. Condoms can break, birth control can fail and the guy (or girl) can turn outo not to be the right one. Personally, having sex is a big enough decision that I don’t want to regret it.  

Just Be Committed. – 4 votes

Some people lie about it, some people brag about it, and some people hide it.  
Sex is different for everyone, and everyone has different experiences and reactions to it.  While it is an extremely personal decision when and whether to have sex, I personally believe in having sex while in a committed relationship. If teens are protected and know their partners well I don’t see many detrimental effects from having sex.
The notion that teens having sex will affect their grades or cause them to become addicted to drugs is ridiculous. Sure,  you are making yourself vulnerable and opening yourself up to heartbreak, but aren’t you doing the same thing by having a relationship in the first place? That’s what intimacy is all about.  
As far as having sex outside of a relationship, that’s just like asking for heartbreak. It would be hard not to get attached to someone you have a sexual relationship with, and to be “just friends” with that person would be very difficult emotionally.  While I would not go so far as to wait until marriage to have sex, I would not have sex without a committed relationship either.

Does It Really Matter? – 6 votes

As a high school student, sex is everywhere.
Whether you’re having it or not, it’s hard to miss. Some want to wait until they’re married, others until they’re in a committed relationship, and then there are the people who don’t need either reasons to go at it.
Personally, I think that sex is all right outside of a committed relationship as long as it’s safe and not with eight people at a time. It’s a personal decision and every situation is different; but as long as you use protection and know what you and your partner are getting into and the emotional side affects, it’s all right.
Having discussed it first and knowing what you’re getting involved in, there’s no reason as to why having sex would affect your school life or grades. Teenagers are capable of being in a sexual relationship without letting it play a part in other aspects of their lives. Even though we’re teenagers our maturity levels aren’t minute, and neither are our raging hormones.
Having sex is an important choice and as long as you discuss it with your partner and are ready for it I see no problem with having it outside of a committed relationship.