Purity Rings Take Center Stage at MTV Awards

Plenty of shocking things have happened at the MTV Video Music Awards: Madonna rolling on stage in a wedding dress, Britney Spears sharing a shocking lip lock with the older singer and… teenagers swearing off sex?

That’s right. This year teen singing sensations The Jonas Brothers made headlines for wearing purity rings, pieces of jewelry meant to signify the wearer’s decision to save him or herself for marriage. And despite some heckling from host Russell Brand, a number of young stars—including Jordin Sparks and Miley Cyrus—have jumped on the bandwagon

“The concept of abstinence has been really promoted over the past couple of decades,” says Dr. Michael Reece, Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University. “But we have had mostly ‘products’ that included more traditional public health types of tools.”

Public service announcements and posters are a thing of the past, though. In our celebrity-driven culture, it’s the stars that are, surprisingly, selling the idea of abstinence. While this might not be the way that proponents of purity rings want it to be, they’re certainly not upset with the results. “The youth themselves do most of the research, then the parents get involved by reviewing what they have found on the Web and do the purchasing,” says B. David Richardson, proprietor of PurityRing.com. “Researchers have spent a great deal of time understanding how to deliver this type of information in ways that are developmentally appropriate for the different ages,” he adds. But with the prominence of the movement—The Jonas Brothers are platinum-selling recording artists—sometimes parents are being forced into a conversation earlier than they had planned.

Still, says Reece, a ring means nothing if the promise behind it isn’t taken seriously. “Studies show that ‘pledges’ have some effect. However there is a difference depending on the type of pledge,” he says. “For example, one study found that adolescents who make a ‘private pledge’ to remain abstinent tend to be more effective than pledges that are more public or that involve some public expression of the pledge.”

He adds, “When we talk to young adults who have made an abstinence commitment, they often comment that this is a private matter and that there is no need for them to have some public display that is geared at convincing others of this ... they are confident enough in their own decisions and don't feel the need to make it a public affair.”

Still, says Richardson, the idea behind the rings is more important than any sale he might make. “If you look at this project from the business stand point, it would not be considered profitable to any businessman. Yet, from my standpoint—[that of] a ministry—you must realize that every order I receive means another individual has decided to live for God and follow his principles. For me that is profitable indeed.”

And while no concrete numbers are available for exactly how many rings are sold each year, “Orders for the Purity Ring are always constant,” says Richardson. And his site is far from the only place to order them. A collection of designs made with gold, silver and even diamonds are also available on sites like waitt.org, lifeway.com, eternal-light.com and jamesavery.com, ranging in price from $9.99 to as much as $1,000.

The movement’s momentum isn’t showing signs of slowing. But what isn’t clear is whether kids taking their cues from stars will have the lasting impact that both men say comes from being honest with yourself and taking advice from those you trust.

“We really don't know if celebrities have the credibility necessary to encourage young adults to delay sexuality until they are ready,” says Reece. “It’s a great concept and it is nice to see celebrities promoting positive messages, but we know that the "just say no" message doesn’t really work. Hopefully these celebrities are also encouraging their audiences to ensure that they also get the information necessary to make healthy decisions once they get married and the abstinence rings come off.”