Jake decided a while back that he would wait before having sex. But sometimes, when the guys are talking about their bodacious babes, Jake wonders whether he is missing something.

"Sometimes it gets to you," says Jake, 18. "You see sex everywhere. A lot of times the guys are talking about it. And they make it sound so good. I want to wait until I can understand what love is all about. But sometimes, it’s really tough.

Jake has plenty of company. In fact, for the first time in 25 years, studies show that fewer teens are choosing to have sex. Someday, the media might catch up and stop making teens look like a bunch of hormone-driven monsters who’ve just gotta have it.

In the meantime, those sex-free teens are sure to wonder: Am I missing out?

No way, says Michael McGee, acting vice president for education at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Closer Couples

Waiting to have sex can actually make for better relationships. Without having to sweat sex, many couples become closer and more intimate than those who have sex right away. These couples (gay or straight) become friends first, McGee explained.

"If you wait and get to know each other, then you have respect and love based on who the other person is—not just how they make you feel physically," he says.

Angela, 17, says that teens should resist feeling pressured to have sex.

"We ought to be taught that we shouldn’t feel pressured to have sex, that there’s really less pressure if you don’t have sex, and no one’s going to think any less of you if you don’t run out and have sex."

Make a Plan

If you feel pressure to have sex, and you’re not ready, make a plan. 

1. Decide. Make a contract with yourself (in writing is cool). Write down why you want to wait, and set some limits. Like I won’t go into a room alone with a love interest, or I’ll stick to kissing.

2. Let somebody know. "Share this decision with a trusted adult or a trusted friend," says McGee. Though friends may joke about it at first, they will usually come to respect your decision. If they don’t, you might want to find new friends.

3. Be up front with the people you date. Make sure he or she respects your decision.

4. Make plans. Set goals. Keep your life lively. Put your thoughts and energy into something you enjoy, something productive. Think about where you want to be in five or ten years, and work on ways to get what you want. 

5. Give your friends (or a trusted adult) permission to hold you accountable, to ask you about your physical relationship with someone you’re dating. Together, you might spot trouble coming before it arrives. 

When all else fails, ask yourself: What’s the rush? Time is the best test of a relationship. See what happens when you hold off having sexual intercourse. 

In the meantime, make yourself happy, have a good life, find someone to love who loves you back. That’s the best part of being smart about sex.