Sex education is one possibility - though there are continuing claims that the more you educate, the more likely you are to encourage precisely what you are trying to prevent.

"Just Say No" is another possibility, much touted in the United States where the Bush administration is very keen on teaching teenagers to abstain from sex. The Silver Ring Thing is one such American attempt to promote abstinence and make virginity cool.

It has arrived in Britain, but will a programme with its roots in Christian America make any impact on the not very religious British teens? Jackie Long reported.

Watch the report

JACKIE LONG:
Yes feel the love, but not too closely please. "The Silver Ring Thing", doing the tourist thing in Covent Garden. They're here to work, to sell their message that virginity is cool.

UNNAMED WOMAN 1:
We're putting on a hi-tech show about sexuality. It's a really cool message. It's a lot of fun.

LONG:
Staying celibate until you get married is the way to help cure Britain of its moral sickness.

DENNY PATTYN:
(FOUNDER, SILVER RING THING)
There's been a moral decaying going on over here that's unprecedented. I was over here several weeks ago and read stories about 14-year-olds getting abortions without their parents' permission. 13-year-olds being taken out of their home because they have a right to their sex life. Oral sex being taught to kids as young as nine during school hours to reduce teen pregnancy in those 104 schools. When I hear stuff like that, I think it's gone too far.

LONG:
These are just some of the 22,000 young Americans who pledge to wear a silver ring, proving their willing to wait.

NICKY NATIELLO:
The ring is a silver ring, silver mainly because it represents being pure. On the ring it says, it's from the Bible and says, "I will keep myself pure and holy and sanctified until marriage." You are supposed to be able to give your spouse, your husband your virginity. To be able to give that, it's probably one of the greatest gifts you can give them. You are free from all the guilt and all the shame and embarrassment that come with having sex.

LONG:
Silver Ring Thing shows it's supposed to be going to a nightclub, without the drink, drugs or sex obviously. British youngsters will get the chance to see whether that constitutes their idea of a good time over the next few weeks. But they'll have to hear silver ring's doomsday scenario - teenagers having sex.

GORDO FLORES:
There are so many STDs out there. A lot of guys are asymptomatic to all the STDs. They don't know they have the disease so they're all having sex with whoever. If they decide to get married and have kids, their kids end up with the diseases as well.

JULIE PRESCOTT:
If you decide to have children one day and if you one of your STDs is active at that time, you can pass it on to your child. Your child can die in infancy because that disease was passed on in birth.

LONG:
The truth is in Britain death from sexually transmitted diseases, apart from HIV, is virtually unheard of. Nevertheless what's also true is that the number of teenagers affected by STDs is soaring. Teenage pregnancy remains a very British problem.

CARMEN WOODROFFE:
A lot of people were having sex at the time, yes. I don't personally think I was ready to. I think I just done it because everybody else was doing it.

LONG:
Carmen began having sex when she was 15. She now has a 16-month-old son she's bringing up alone. She and her friend Nicola spend much of their time in schools in Lambeth talking to young people about sex. They're finding those young people are having sex at an earlier age.

NICOLA MCLEAN:
I think around 13, I think. That's the age group we target. A lot of them are actively having sexual relationships. They could have started younger, maybe 12 or 11.

LONG:
What do you think they would say if you went and said, our view is you should wait until you get married?

NICOLA MCLEAN:
I don't think they'll take it seriously. I think they realise that's not a realistic point of view. You can't just tell them not to have sex.

LONG:
Carmen says better, franker sex education is the only way forward.

CARMEN WOODROFFE:
If they are going to have sex, just use precautions, contraception.

LONG:
But not to wait till they get married?

CARMEN WOODROFFE:
No, not to wait. That's a bit ridiculous. You never know when you're going to get married. I'm not looking to get married any time soon.

LONG:
You'd expect to have a sex life before you get married?

CARMEN WOODROFFE:
Yeah I do. To have a bit of fun. Go out there and explore. I suppose, yeah, it's a part of life.

LONG:
For The Silver Ring Thing's Gordo and Julie it's very much not a part of their life. So how do they manage?

JULIE PRESCOTT:
We don't stay in a dark, empty house, because those are tempting situations.

GORDO FLORES:
Me and Julie, we kiss and hug and hold hands and stuff like that. We don't want to go further than that. We are afraid that might be the next step and the next step might be sex.

LONG:
The Silver Ring Thing touting for new members. Their leaflets are opaque to say the least. Promising a high tech show, about guys, girls and dating. No mention of sexual abstinence or the Christian message behind it.

HANNAH ELDER:
I thought I might try it. Might be good to go along. When I heard what it's actually about, it's changed my mind. I don't agree with it.

LONG:
There's no doubt that Silver Ring know how to dress up their no-sex mantra and make it seem much more attractive. But alongside the good time image is a determination to bring teenagers not just to abstinence, but to God too. That might make it hard to sell over here.

This transcript was produced from the teletext subtitles that are generated live for Newsnight. It has been checked against the programme as broadcast, however Newsnight can accept no responsibility for any factual inaccuracies. We will be happy to correct serious errors.