Sex. It seems like everyone's doing it. It's seen on television and in movies, magazines and books. Why would anyone think differently about having "premarital relations"? Today's society not only puts pressure on people to have sex before marriage, but it also celebrates it as normal and acceptable.

Guys don't think that they are men unless they sleep around, and many girls think that they must sleep with their boyfriends to "keep" them. Others think that it is "cool" to have multiple sexual partners. Clearly, our moral standards have changed for the worse.

Condoms have come a long way from linen and animal intestines to latex, but the purpose of them hasn't—to prevent unwanted pregnancies and stop the spread of STDs. The truth is, condoms routinely fail in preventing either one.

"Safe Sex" isn't safe! Here are some startling statistics:

• 21 percent of Americans 12 years and older have herpes.
  
• In the United States, AIDS is the second leading cause of death among 25-44 year olds.
  
• By the end of 2003, 37 million adults and 2.5 million children were living with HIV worldwide. Five million new cases were reported that year.
  
• The year 2003 saw three million HIV/AIDS related deaths.
  
• Half of those who carry HIV are infected before they turn 25 and die from AIDS before age 35.

Could condoms have prevented these deaths? Not necessarily. To begin with, condom companies and promoters know that condoms are not 100 percent effective. They all agree that abstinence is the only truly effective way to avoid contracting an STD.

Yet, they still want you to trust your life to a piece of rubber. They insist that correct and consistent condom use will protect a person each time, but they don't mention that three percent of the time condoms break or slip off during sex. Neither do they factor in those who don't correctly or consistently use condoms.

More importantly, condom companies and promoters don't mention that, even if a person uses a condom, there are certain STDs that can get past the barrier. Condoms are not flawless.

A study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) released in July 2001 entitled, "Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention," reported that even with 100 percent condom use, STDs (including HIV) can still be transmitted from one partner to another. And, condoms do not prevent the spread of STDs that result from skin-to-skin contact outside of the area covered by the condom.

The report by the NIH also showed that condoms have no clinical effectiveness for preventing the spread of chlamydia, chancroid, syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV and herpes-2 can be spread through contact with areas of the skin that aren't covered by the condom.

The study also shows that there is only an 85 percent risk reduction through condom use in the spread of HIV. That's a risky gamble to take with your life! Compare the AIDS virus to sperm and you might begin to seriously doubt that the risk reduction percentage is really that good.

Condoms have small holes called "voids." Sperm are usually too big to fit through these holes, yet there is generally a 12 percent failure rate for condoms when it comes to preventing pregnancies. The HIV virus is 50 times smaller than the voids that are found in condoms. The virus can easily pass through the holes.

How God Feels
God is very serious about sexual immorality. First Corinthians 10:8 says that 23,000 people died in one day because of fornication! Just think about how many people in this century die on a daily basis because they contract a deadly disease through fornication or adultery.

God wants sex to be enjoyed, but only when it is between a married man and woman. Look at Proverbs 5:15-23 in The New Living Translation:

Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. Why [have] sex with just anyone?...Don't share it with strangers...For the Lord sees clearly what a man does...An evil man is held captive by his own sins...He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly.

Let the Lord bless you with a spouse who is obedient and who is saving himself or herself for you. If you are currently sexually active, repent and choose now to stop now. Make an appointment with your doctor for a complete checkup. Protect your health and that of your future spouse.

First published in the April 2004 issue of
Changing Your World Magazine
Copyright © Creflo Dollar Ministries All rights reserved.