Is there more to purity than just “not having sex”?
Definitely! Purity is a character trait - not just a physical trait. By "not having sex" we're protecting one part of our physical purity. There's also purity of your heart and emotions as well as purity of your mind.

How do you talk to your parents about this topic?
Even though it can be extremely awkward to talk about sex in any way to your parents, it is important and can be beneficial. Believe it or not your parents were once teenagers themselves and dealt with all the pressures, temptations, and questions that you are facing now. From their experience, they may be able to help you make better decisions than you just trying to figure it out on your own. If you don't have parents that you can talk to, find a trusted adult of your same gender and talk to them about it.

How do you talk with your boyfriend/girlfriend about this topic?
Its always important to establish and communicate your stance on sex in a relationship. Now maybe this isn't a first date type of conversation (or maybe it is!) but talking and making sure you're on the same page is crucial. If you wait until you are in the moment, you may be surprised by the expectations of your boyfriend or girlfriend. Decide ahead of time what you are and are not going to do. Establishing goals and boundaries before hand can save you from those difficult situations. Practical Tip: since this is such a personal, intimate topic, have it in a public, non-tempting place! Maybe a restaurant or at the kitchen table with your parents in the next room...somewhere that you can still have privacy to talk...but where you're not going to do the very things you're talking about not doing!

Is it okay to have sex if you know you’re in love with the person? If you know you’re going to marry the person?
Sadly many people in High School have given themselves completey to someone thinking they were the one and they would get married and be in love forever but it ended up not being the case. Until that committment is made (not hoped for) it's not safe to completely give yourself physically to another. You don't know you're actually going to marry a person until you are married (we've all seen the movies where the bride or groom flees from the wedding!!)

How far should a dating couple go if they aren’t supposed to have sex?
It's impossible to point to a definite line that a couple shouldn't cross. A couple should communicate what they want their boundries to be but going about it with the attitude of "how far go we go without getting ourselves in trouble" is like saying "how close can i get to the edge of the cliff without falling off?" It would be smarter if you didn't dance around the edge, right? Or maybe look at this way, ask yourself "how pure can i be?" instead of "how unpure can i be before it gets really bad?".

What’s wrong with looking at pornographic material? How does that affect my sexuality?
Some may say that pornography is not harmful and that it's not really hurting anybody. But the truth is is that it can greatly distort you perception of what sex is all about and how you see people of the opposite gender, therefore hurting you and those around you. Porn makes sex seem purely self-serving and those involved objects. Pornography can also be progressive and addictive.

What do you do if the guy / girl you’re with starts pressuring you to go further than you want to go physically?
Talk to them. Let them know how you feel. If they can't respect your boundaries and desire for purity, they're not the guy/gal for you and a break up is what's best (easier said than done...but sometimes the hardest things to do are the best things to do!)

Does the type of clothes a girl wears have anything to do with the way guys look at her?
Even though a guy is responsible for his own actions and thoughts and, therefore, responsible for how he looks at and thinks about a girl, guys are first stimulated sexually on a visual level. So how a girl is dressed, what she is showing and not showing, does have an effect on a guy.

What’s so special about saving sex for your wedding night?
When a person waits until their wedding night they are free to give all of their physical self to their husband or wife without the guilt and consequences that so often come from premarital sex, whether those be physical, emotional, relational or spiritual. Within the commitment and trust of marriage a person is free to embrace the bond that sex creates without the fear of that being broken.

Are any of the alternatives to sex okay? What do you think about those?
Many teenagers today see sexual activities such as heavy touching or oral sex as "alternatives" and not really sex. Maybe with those activities you wont get pregnant or caught by some other expected consequence but those activities do create emotional, physical and mental bonds with the other person. They also are pre-cursors to sex and so many that get involved with sex alternatives eventually involved in premarital sex.

How do I encourage a friend to get out of an unhealthy relationship?
Make sure you communicate how much you care about them. Let them know that it's because you love them and care about them that you are approaching them about their unhealthy relationship. Many people are willing to look past obviously bad things in a relationship because they don't want to feel alone. A good way to help them is to make sure they know they aren't alone - that even if they aren't in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex, they still have you and your friendship.

It seems like everyone around me is having sex, and I’m starting to feel alone… any advice for me?
Even if you feel alone, the truth is that you are not alone - you are not the only teenager not having sex. Alot of teenagers are not having sex but it seems like we only hear about the ones that are. The info that gets broadcasted is about who's doing what and with who. Not many people are talking about what they DIDN'T do with their girlfriend or boyfriend over the weekend. Many people also aren't talking about all of the negative consequences that could be coming from those sexual relationships. You, as a person not engaged in premarital sex, are free from those. It may sound cliche' to say - but the truth is that those having pre-marital sex have given away something they can never get back. As a person not having sex, you're holding on to a PRICELESS gift that you're going to be able to give to your husband or wife one day. Please believe that it is WORTH THE WAIT - even if it feels like no one else is waiting.

Is it wrong to want to have sex?
No, the desire to have sex is natural - and a good thing! Our bodies were designed and created for it! However, just because you have the ability to do something doesn't mean that you can do it whenever you want - timing is key! All the facts point to the reality that it is best to save sex until marriage.