One of the most read posts here at BDBO is about Purity Balls, a more extreme form of abstinence only events targeting religious parents and children in the US.

Companies and entreprenuers have been expanded their programs to other countries.  
A 16 year old in the UK is taking her school to court because she can’t wear her Purity ring.

The full story is here. 
Purity rings are symbols, like a What Would Jesus Do bracklet - only way more expensive.

The impetus behind the Silver Ring Thing business was traditionalist Christians protesting the secularisation of society and wearing the ring to set themselves apart.
Private programming and businesses in the abstinence only movement began in the 1990’s.

It is a growth industry with events, jewelry and well meaning believers preaching and teaching abstinence only to teens. 
It also pays lawyers a lot of money to defend teen rights and religious freedom.

The Silver Ring Thing owners wants 2 million teens wearing one by 2010.

In 2005 The US Department of Health and Human Services suspended federal funding for The Silver Ring Thing because of it’s promotion of abstinence only. It was listed as a non-profit organization that had received over a million dollars in US federal funding. The company chose not to modify it’s message and went private.

 Studies have shown that fear based promotion of chasity and virginity have not prevented STD’s and pregnancy because teens participating are not given accurate and full information about sex.
Studies have found teens participating in Purity Balls and The Silver Ring Thing engage in forms of sexual activity short of intercourse without awareness of STD’s. While critics acknowledge pledge events  may delay participants sexual exploration about 18 months, the failure rate of pledge programs ranges from 61 to 88%.

Study of 12,000 aged 12 to 18

Six years on, 99% of non-pledgers had sex before marriage

So too did 88% of pledgers

Pledgers first had sex an average of 18 months later

Both had similar rates of STDs

Pledgers ‘much less likely’ to use contraception

Columbia University study

True Love Waits - The Southern Baptist Convention Purity counterpart sells necklaces, rings, bracklets, watches and clothing.