[freespirited]

I'll offer a different take on the findings. Being a virgin at 18 is not the direct cause of the positive outcomes (or as social scientists say, the independent variable.) It's a marker for it (social science gobbledygook = dependent variable.)

That marker is whatcha call good judgment, common sense, modicum of intelligence--you know, all that stuff that FReepers have all day long, or are are at least embarrassed when we dont.

[discostu]

Big assumption there. Not everybody that's a virgin at 18 wants to be, some just lack the social skills necessary to get de-virginized.

[Zeppelin]

Good analysis. That's what I thought. Those who abstain demonstrate self-control and are thinking in the long-term.

I'm a dude, just turned 20, and am still a virgin, not ashamed to say. It's been hard (no pun intended) but will probably be worth it in the long run.

But to each their own. =P

[knuthom]

I have to agree. The same character attributes that cause teens to avoid early sexual activity also influence subsequent successful life outcome. It is not that virgins become more responsible adults, but that more responsible teens become more responsible adults.

[jammer]

Exactly. Very good. There is a correlation, but to draw a cause-effect relationship is post hoc, ergo propter hoc reasoning.