Self discipline in teenage is not-effective as teenagers who make promises to remain virgin until marriage often do not maintain their virginity. These teenagers are as prone to premarital sex as the ones who do not make false promises about it. There is also a possibility of these teenagers not using any birth control practices.

“Virginity pledge” is of no use when it comes to having sex before marriage. Analysis of data from a large federal survey shows that  50% of youths indulged in sex before marriage regardless of the fact if they  had taken a "virginity pledge,"  or not.

But the percentage of youth who took precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points lower for those who took the pledge.

This latest study has raised questions about the efficacy of the program. The debate about the success of abstinence-focused sexual education has been sparked due to the findings of the study. The findings gain further importance considering the fact that the Congress and the new Obama administration are about to reconsider the $176 million annual funding for such programs.