4 Things You Should Know About Purity Rings
As a teenaged girl or young adult, your decision to remain abstinent until marriage is admirable. Wearing a purity ring is a wonderful way to symbolize your commitment, but there are a few things that you should know about these rings before you purchase one.
1. Purity rings are personal. Your moral values are extremely personal, and it’s okay if you want to keep them private. A purity ring can be a symbol that only you and your partner know the meaning of if you are more comfortable that way. You are free to choose a simple band or a ring with a pretty stone as opposed to a religious ring or a True Love Waits style.
2. Wearing a purity ring is your decision. While your parents are undoubtedly proud of you for your choice to wait until marriage to have sex, the decision to wear a purity ring should be yours. It’s you that will have to stick to your moral principles and live out your commitment. When you’re strong in your beliefs, your purity ring will truly serve as a powerful reminder of your decision.
3. A purity ring is a reminder, but not a solution. Many young women mistakenly believe that wearing a purity ring will make it easier for them to abstain from sex. This is not entirely the case. Temptations may still arise, particularly when you’re very attracted to your partner. At these times, you can stop and look at your purity ring to give you the strength to resist, but you have to be the one to remember to stop and look.
4. You are not the only young woman who has chosen abstinence. Often times, girls feel anxious about wearing their purity rings to school because they fear judgment. The media makes it seem as if the vast majority of teenagers are sexually active, and the numbers who are abstinent are very few. According to The National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, only 42 percent of girls and 43 percent of boys have had sexual intercourse. You are by no means the only girl who has made the responsible decision to not have sex; you just happen to be one with enough strength in your convictions to want to symbolize your commitment with a ring.
Your choice to remain abstinent is an important one, and one of which you should be proud. Take your time and select the perfect purity ring to beautifully symbolize your personal beliefs.