The BYU Shield of Faith study found that 11% of LDS young men and 19% of LDS young women had engaged in sexual intercourse by age 18 — compared to 58% and 59% respectively in the national sample (National Center for Health Statistics, 2004).
The gap is approximately 5x for men and 3x for women. Regardless of one's views on sexual morality, the behavioral difference between LDS youth and the national population is among the largest documented across any religious group.
Discussion