Health Risk

Having sex outside of marriage is health risk. Sexually transmitted diseases, even deadly ones, are prevalent in today's culture. STDs can cause sores, rashes, infertility, cancer, liver failure, neurological problems, and death. According to the American Social Health Association, "The estimated total number of people living in the US with an incurable STD is over 65 million. Every year, there are approximately 15 million new cases of STDs, a few of which are curable. . . . At least one in four Americans will contract an STD at some point in their lives."

Just because a person seems clean, nice, and respectable, does not mean that person does not have a sexually transmitted disease. If that person admits he or she had an STD at one point but it is gone now, this may or may not be true. STDs can lie dormant for years. Also, symptoms of many of these diseases may not be obvious.

Laura Petherbridge says, "When you sleep with someone, you are sleeping with every person that person has slept with. That's not a very pretty picture. It takes away all the romance and all the fun. You're putting yourself in danger physically."

May this verse be a prayer for you: "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).