One-third of college women have abstained

August 6, 2001

One-third of campus women have abstained
___WASHINGTON (RNS)--A new study of college women and dating finds that casual sexual encounters are prevalent, but close to a third of women on campus are virgins.
___"What is most surprising, perhaps, is that the college women in our study are not the libertines that many media portrayals of unmarried young adults would lead us to believe," reads a report conducted for the Independent Women's Forum by the Institute for American Values.
___The national survey, released July 26, found 39 percent of all college women said they have not ever had sexual intercourse. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of seniors said they were virgins. Thirty-six percent of non-virgins surveyed said they had not had sexual intercourse in the past month.
___The study investigated women's feelings about "hooking up," described as a physical encounter between uncommitted couples that can range from kissing to having intercourse. Often these encounters take place when both participants have been drinking, the study said.
___Forty percent of those surveyed nationwide said they had experienced a hook-up and 10 percent said they had had such an experience more than six times.
___Researchers also delved into college women's views about marriage.
___Eighty-three percent of respondents agreed with the statement. "Being married is a very important goal for me." Sixty-three percent agreed that "I would like to meet my future husband in college."
___The 18-month study involved telephone interviews of 1,000 college women across the country and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The study also included in-depth interviews with 62 women on 11 college campuses.

Send this story to a friend

Get printer-friendly version of this story

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook