Purity rings, or chastity rings are a symbol of virginity in religious cultures. A person who wears a purity ring is vowing to save sex for marriage. Among North American Christians, the ring is usually worn on the left ring finger with the implication that the wearer will remain abstinent until it is replaced with a wedding ring. There is no particular style for purity rings; however, many worn by Christians have a cross in their design in reference to Jesus Christ.

Reporter David Bario wrote, in a March 2005 syndicated article,

Under the Bush administration, organizations that promote abstinence and encourage teens to sign virginity pledges or wear purity rings have received federal grants. The Silver Ring Thing, a subsidiary of a Pennsylvania Evangelical Church, has received more than $1 million from the government to promote abstinence and to sell its rings in the United States and abroad. ^*

See also

• Promise ring
• Chastity belt

Rings | Sexual abstinence