LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The issue of abstinence made headlines in March when Brigham Young University dismissed starting center Brandon Davies for having sexual relations with his girlfriend, violating the school's honor code. BYU is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids students from having premarital relations.

The practice of abstinence prior to marriage, however, is not limited to Mormons. As more young people make this lifestyle choice, they want to meet those with similar values. That's why Jose and Lety Colin created the websites WeWaited.com and WeAbstain.com.

WeWaited.com is a place where virgin singles can meet other virgin singles online. WeAbstain.com, the sister website, caters to virgin and non-virgin (or "born-again virgin") singles who are abstaining until marriage. The sites not only provide a safe environment for abstainers to meet one another, they also invite others to abstain from sex until marriage. Its Second Life virtual reality site hosts 11 Abstinence Parks and five Virgin Parks, with 3D chat service open only to Silver and Platinum members.

The number of virgins in the U.S. is growing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of teens who have had premarital sex declined during the 1990s. In 1991, 54 percent of teens said they had had sex, compared to 47 percent in 2003.

In a Fox TV news interview on WeWaited.com, Lety said, "There are lots of virgins out there. You just don't tattoo it on your forehead."

"There are so many benefits of waiting to have sexual relations until marriage," continued Lety. She and husband Jose were both virgins prior to marriage. She said research shows that couples who abstain before marriage (regardless of whether they are virgins) have stronger marriages.

Divorce statistics are sobering: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 60 percent of marriages for couples between the ages of 20 and 25 and 50 percent of all marriages with brides 25 or older result in divorce. "Abstinence is one factor that can help reverse this negative trend," said Jose.

The Colins are often asked how they know if the sites' members are truly virgins. "We screen all our applicants," said Jose. "We do a basic background check. If we find someone is not truthful, there's a good chance they are not being truthful about their virginity as well."

Free Standard Membership is available to all approved membership applicants. Standard Members may search member profiles and receive private messages from other members - but not reply to them. Silver and Platinum Members have more options, including replying to and sending private messages, participating in IM, chat and 3D chat, sending "winks" and participating in polls.

The websites also have online stores, with an increasing inventory of DVDs, books, jewelry and other items related to abstinence.

For more information, visit http://www.WeWaited.com and http://www.WeAbstain.com.

Contact:

Leticia Colin
info@weabstain.com
562-490-9606

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE WeWaited.com; WeAbstain.com