True Life › Ep.

These days, many young people are choosing celibacy over intercourse. On this episode of True Life, we follow three individuals who are struggling with their decision to remain celibate. Each have previously had sex, which makes it even harder for them to battle temptation.

Meet Troy: he's 19, a baseball team captain, SGA president and a model. He's a true all-American boy. At one point in his life, Troy had no problem with one-night stands and random hookups until he was involved in a terrible car accident, which led him to find religion. He now uses the Bible as a blueprint for living his life and has decided he'll wait until marriage to have sex again.

As a model, Troy battles tempting thoughts daily, especially during photo shoots. While provocatively posing in awkward positions with members of the opposite sex, his beliefs are heavily tested, but he is determined to stay celibate. One day, a girl named Holly catches Troy's eye during a photo shoot and he invites her to party with him and his friends later that night. Their time together seems to be going well until Holly's provocative dancing tempts Troy and he exits the club earlier than expected. Subsequently, Troy decides he shouldn't hang out with Holly anymore.

For spring break, Troy and his friends head to Panama City, Florida, to let loose. The only problem is, Troy can't participate in all the spring break debauchery without feeling slightly uncomfortable, but he attempts to remain levelheaded during the trip. While walking on the beach, the fellas run into a few ladies and invite them to a club, where Troy is straddled by one of the girls and given the lap dance of his life. Although it has become much easier for him to resist temptation, this situation is tough for Troy and he leaves the club before things get out of hand.

Troy reminds himself that God's acceptance is more important than peer acceptance and he remains comfortable in his decision to avoid sex and stay celibate. He feels his spring break lap dance was the ultimate test, and he passed. After five months, Troy is still celibate and plans to publicly speak out against premarital sex in the future.

Next, we meet 19-year-old Kristin, a serial dater. In the past, she has always cheated on her boyfriends, but now she's decided she can't have sex until she knows she can be faithful. Her decision to remain celibate has shocked her friends and ex-lovers and she has a very small support system. However, she has an understanding new boyfriend named Jim who says he will remain by her side no matter what.

Although Kristin hopes to remain faithful to her new boyfriend, she is tested at every turn at her job. As a waitress at a local bar, she deals with tons of flirtatious men. At times, the sexually charged atmosphere causes Kristin to question her decision to stay celibate. But whenever she feels as though she won't make it through the day, she thinks of Jim and pushes through.

One night, Kristin attends a party with Donnie, a guy she cheated on her former boyfriend with. The flirting between the two escalates, but Kristin wisely leaves before she regrets making any bad decisions. Between work and the company she keeps, Kristin wonders if she needs to rethink her celibacy.

Aside from temptation, Kristin's choice to stay celibate is made even more difficult by the fact that Jim lives four hours away. Their relationship is strained due to the distance and she often wonders if he is cheating on her. Lately, she says, his phone calls have been short and he visits less and less. After not hearing from Jim for awhile, Kristin calls and questions him about whether he is cheating. But Jim doesn't have a good excuse for his behavior, so Kristin breaks up with him.

Kristin's convinced Jim has found another girl that is willing to sleep with him and she naturally feels hurt. But Kristin's close friend reminds her that she doesn't have to put out in order for a guy to like her. That's when Kristin finally realizes that truly worthy guys will stick around and respect her decisions and love her no matter what.

For Kristin, the single life may seem challenging but she's ready to face whatever comes her way. She is confident in her choice to remain celibate and will let no man alter her path until they are seriously committed.

Finally, we meet 22-year-old Carlos and his girlfriend Alissa, who have been dating for two years. Carlos and Alissa used to have sex all the time, but now the dynamic has drastically changed because Alissa had an affair. Since then, Carlos has had a problem trusting Alissa and can't stop thinking about the affair. But mainly, Carlos is fearful of catching an STD from Alissa. Because of that, he has decided to be celibate until he can fully trust Alissa again. This decision not only affects Carlos but it also affects Alissa and their relationship as a whole.

With his newfound paranoia about STDs and his increasing jealousy, he and Alissa both question the future of their relationship. After many arguments and accusations, they decide to get tested so they can settle things once and for all. But on the day they're supposed to get tested, Alissa says she doesn't think the results will change anything. At this point, Alissa feels that, no matter what, Carlos will still be haunted by thoughts of her affair. But the two push forward and get tested anyway.

When they both find out they are STD free, Carlos is relieved, to say the least. But when Alissa tries to entice him into having sex with her, he still feels uncomfortable.

After six months of celibacy, Carlos still isn't ready to move forward and be intimate with Alissa. He feels Alissa's cheating has significantly hindered their relationship and corrupted the closeness they once had. He says one day he will once again be comfortable with having sex with Alissa, but right now he just wants to focus on sharing an intimacy beyond the physical meaning. So, for now, they remain celibate.