Ruth Institute Blog

Right on! This is right up te same alley as what the Ruth Institute is doing with its It Takes a Family conferences and with Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse’s Smart Sex book.

by Carolyn Moynihan

CNN has run a story on the movement among college students to shun the hook-up culture prevalent on campuses and encourage dating and abstinence.

Since its inception in 2007, the Love and Fidelity network has gained a presence in at least 20 schools, including Princeton and Harvard.

“A majority of college campuses, when it comes to discussing marriage and sexual relationships, tend to be very one-sided,” said Cassandra Hough, founding director of the Love and Fidelity Network. “We feel that it does add to pressures for young men and women to participate in a certain type of culture.”

CNN features a Vanderbuilt junior, 21-year-old Frannie Boyle, who says she gave up the drink-fuelled routine hooking-up because it left her feeling “empty” and unhappy.

Casual sexual activity carries a physical as well as emotional price tag. A study from the University of Iowa published early this month warned that the growth of concurrent partnerships is speeding up the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. According to a survey of 783 heterosexual adults, one-third of relationships in the Chicago area lack exclusivity.

Keep reading.