Religious faith is very important in teaching young people abstinence.
This factor ranked above school quality, whether drugs are available, peer influence, and family income. Church youth groups also challenge kids to resist sexual temptation. The latest research on teen sexual behavior shows that the number of high schoolers who have had sexual intercourse at least once has declined significantly in recent years. And data from a number of different studies shows a definite downward trend in both teen sexual experience and teen birth rates. Churches and crisis pregnancy centers also provide speakers and counselors who address the issue of abstinence.