Prom short for promenade began in the 19th century as a formal co-ed banquet for American universities for graduating class. The teenage culture pushed for proms to began younger and younger by the 1940’s teen proms were being introduced. In the 1950s proms begin to not only be held in school gymnasiums, but hotels and country clubs as well.

Prom for university students had been all about girls wearing colorful gowns and boys wearing tuxedos, taking photos, breaking curfews, limousine rides, and spiking drinks. As the 20th century proms were more creative and trying to out do the year before proms became quickly known as the night a girl was possibly going to loose her virginity. Unfortunately, this happened voluntarily or involuntarily at times. Now today prom is automatically associated with drinking alcohol and sex. Some teens even believe why go if you are not participating in both of these activities or at least one of them. As the rise in teen pregnancy in the late ’90s and early 2000s more organizations began to use this day to promote and teach “safe sex.”

However, the education didn’t really do much but make teens think they could still have sex, but forgot about STI’s and HIV/AIDs. This the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention month, because this is the time most teens will have sex for first time or have unprotected sex for the first time. If you are a teen reading this, share the information with your peers that, everyone is not having SEX on prom night! If you are an adult speak with a teen about prom. Let them know this is an important day in their life, but not their wedding day therefore NO sex.

CALL TO ACTION: KEEP YOUR GOODIES ON PROM NIGHT!!