Abstinence Pledge

Abstinence pledges are formal commitments in which individuals—often adolescents or young adults—promise to abstain from specific behaviours, most commonly the consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants or sexual intercourse until marriage. When referring to commitments of sexual abstinence, they are frequently termed purity pledges or virginity pledges. Such pledges appear across a range of cultural and religious contexts, though they are especially prevalent in the United States among Catholic, Evangelical, and other Christian groups, as well as within non-sectarian youth programmes.

Historical Background

The roots of abstinence pledges lie in the temperance movement of the eighteenth century, which expanded across Christian denominations including Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and Roman Catholic communities. The movement framed abstinence as both a moral duty and a means of improving social welfare.
Organisations such as the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) encouraged individuals to pledge abstinence from alcohol, often through printed cards. A typical WCTU card read: “I hereby promise, by the help of God, to abstain from the use of all intoxicating liquors including wine, beer and cider as a beverage.” Signing such a card enrolled the individual as a member of the distributing organisation, which might include the WCTU, the Independent Order of Rechabites, or the International Organisation of Good Templars.
Another influential temperance society was the League of the Cross, founded by Cardinal Henry Manning in 1873, whose pledge stated: “I promise to you, reverend father, and to the League of the Holy Cross, by the help of God’s grace, to abstain from all intoxicating drinks.” The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, active particularly in Ireland, continues to promote lifelong abstinence and historically offered a plenary indulgence for those supporting its mission. Taking the pledge in Irish schools often culminates in pupils receiving a commemorative lapel pin.

Development of Sexual Abstinence Pledge Movements

The first major organised initiative addressing sexual abstinence until marriage was True Love Waits, launched in 1993 by the Southern Baptist Convention. The movement expanded internationally, eventually claiming tens of millions of pledges. The initial pledge emphasised personal commitment, religious conviction, and the expectation of future marital fidelity.
From the mid-1990s, other abstinence movements emerged. The Silver Ring Thing (SRT), founded in 1995, promoted abstinence through a programme combining moral instruction with Christian teaching. Legal controversies arose when the American Civil Liberties Union argued that federal funds awarded to SRT infringed the principle of separation of church and state. Although funding was temporarily suspended pending corrective plans, the programme later complied with federal requirements.
Abstinence pledge programmes vary widely in tone and justification. Some rely on theological arguments, incorporating scriptural quotations into pledge materials. Others emphasise sociological and health-related statistics to persuade participants. In the United States, advocacy for virginity pledges is frequently connected to campaigns supporting abstinence-only sex education in public schools.

Examples of Abstinence Pledges

Historical and contemporary abstinence pledges demonstrate a variety of forms and motivations:

• Independent Order of Rechabites (c. 1900): “I promise to abstain from all intoxicating liquors as beverages and to discountenance their use by others.”
• WCTU (current): “I hereby solemnly promise, God helping me, to abstain from all distilled, fermented, and malt liquors, including wine, beer, and hard cider, and to employ all proper means to discourage the use of and traffic in the same.”
• Pioneer Total Abstinence Association: Members recite a daily prayer pledging lifelong abstinence from intoxicating drinks for spiritual and moral purposes.
• True Love Waits (1993): “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, and my future mate, to be sexually pure until the day I enter marriage.”
• True Love Waits (recent versions): Variations extend the pledge to future children and emphasise “a lifetime of purity,” or commit to avoiding all sexual activity prior to a Christian marriage.

Research on Sexual Abstinence Pledges

A substantial body of research has examined the effectiveness and behavioural impact of virginity pledges. Many of these studies draw on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which surveyed approximately 13,000 adolescents across several waves during the 1990s.
Key findings include:

• Delay of sexual activity: Early research by sociologists Peter Bearman and Hannah Brückner indicated that pledgers were somewhat more likely to delay sexual intercourse than non-pledgers in the short term. However, when they did engage in sexual activity, they were less likely to use contraception. The effect appeared strongest in schools where approximately 30 per cent of students had pledged, suggesting a need for a “critical mass”.
• Behavioural substitution: A follow-up study found that five years after pledging, sexual behaviour among pledgers often resembled that of non-pledgers, including comparable rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Some evidence pointed to substitution of oral or anal sex for vaginal sex among pledgers.
• Virginity retention rates: Estimates suggested that male pledgers were several times more likely to remain virgins by age 25 than non-pledgers, with similar trends among female pledgers. Those who did become sexually active tended to have fewer partners and shorter exposure to STI risks.
• Informal versus formal pledges: Research conducted in California indicated that adolescents who made personal, informal promises not to have sex were more likely to delay sexual activity than those who participated in formal, organised virginity pledge programmes.
• Recall and self-reporting issues: Studies by Janet Rosenbaum demonstrated that many adolescents denied having taken a pledge when surveyed later. This tendency to “disavow” pledges complicated attempts to measure their behavioural effects and suggested potential underestimation of risk behaviours due to inaccurate self-reporting.

Social Context and Implications

Abstinence pledges function both as personal commitments and as expressions of group identity. Temperance pledges historically reinforced collective moral standards within religious and civic groups. Sexual abstinence pledges similarly create communities of shared values, although their effectiveness depends on social support, perceived distinctiveness, and the broader environment in which the pledge is undertaken.
Supporters argue that abstinence pledges encourage responsible decision-making, reduce risky behaviours, and reinforce moral or religious frameworks. Critics contend that they may delay but do not prevent sexual activity, reduce contraceptive preparedness, or contribute to misinformation when combined with limited sex education.