I wonder ...
If we were to ask a question about masturbation, would all these answerers say, "Wait! Wait until marriage! It's the best!"
Or would they just remain silent and not say anything, hoping the subject passes?
I bring that up because fornication, biblically speaking, includes masturbation, and many other aspects of sexual thought.
Thus, such a question, put to these same people, would be interesting, since we may then see hypocrisy on display (assuming they masturbate or have sexual thoughts -- which I'm sure they don't and never have [sarcasm]). I don't doubt for a minute that many of these answerers don't have sex, but I'm wondering to what degree they deny their human sexuality. ...
If you wait, use secular reasoning, for scientific facts won't change; your religious opinions may; you want constancy when it comes to staying safe and smart. Also, abstaining doesn't need religious justification beyond the secular reasoning that supports the decision.
The following are my recollections (feel free to double check at the CDC site):
-Condoms, used by a couple regularly having sex over the course of a year, result in a 15-percent pregnancy rate. It's on the box.
-Well over half of all sexually active adults carry HPV (latent and nonsymptomatic in them, usually). A quarter to a third of sexually active adults also carry herpes types 1 or 2 (again, often latently). Condoms don't completely protect against either (though the risk is lessened).
If you do have sex: have a committed relationship; first get STI testing done for the both of you; talk with doctors about any concerns; and employ birth control medication and condoms. Obviously, from a moral point of view, your decisions should also be in accord with your values and those of your family and communities.
But basically, assuming you're both over 18 and it's consensual, it's up to you, and it's a private matter. The law says so; Supreme Court decisions as recent as the Lawrence v. Texas case in 2003 protect this right of privacy from governmental abuse. (Which happens when regular Joes and Janes, like these answerers, get together and pass laws.)
You're not forced to watch evangelical television shows, and you're not forced to eat what people are dishing out here. You'll be stronger if you make these decisions on your own, armed with facts and data.
And yes, it's perfectly fine (and sane -- perhaps wise) if you decide to be abstinent for now. Other benefits of abstinence include: protecting oneself from emotional abuse -- which can happen to men; and it aids in cultivating self-discipline.
I guess, to sum up: A lot of these answerers are painting a white-picket-fence world for you, but that's not the way the world spins. Sorry. They're either in denial, or they're not responsibly grappling with and thinking about real problems that affect real people. The world is a complicated place with a lot of gray area and suffering -- often under the veneer. It takes knowledge, formal education, bravery, discernment, and deep discussions and investigations before one gets to the heart of any matter (in the sense of inductive reasoning and exploration). It's not all, "Life's great -- cuddles and smiles -- I'm a rainbow!!" Hardly. A lot of those people have serious problems that they're denying or that they'd like to sweep under the rug. Don't deal with those sorts; deal with people who confront problems directly and earnestly, and who are honest about the difficulties, challenges, and realities of the world.