The silver ring is a symbol of the abstinence promise

The faith-based American movement, Silver Ring Thing, urges young people to buy a silver ring and abstain from sex before marriage.

The group claims abstinence is the only way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

Created in Arizona in 1995, the movement is designed to appeal to 21st century teenagers and offer them protection against the "destructive effects of America's sex-obsessed culture".

The scheme, which has seen 20,000 rings sold to US teenagers, uses sketch comedy and music videos to make the point about virginity.

Its roadshow arrived at Strandtown Baptist Church in Belfast on Thursday to answer questions about sex.

I think there are more people that are virgins than admit it Jenny Anderson Pitsburgh

Programme creator Denny Pattyn said he was surprised by the response.

"We were told that people from the UK would not be interested in an abstinence message. We were also told that they would not respond to any kind of faith message," he said.

"We found just the opposite. It's actually a greater response than it is in America.

"We're having a higher percentage of teenagers who come to our programme in the UK put on the ring, than put on the ring in America, and a higher percentage of young people deciding that they want to put this faith message to work in their lives."

Claire Shanks, 14, from Northern Ireland, said it was interesting to hear about abstinence in more detail.

"There's so much temptation around to lose your virginity at such a young age," she said.

"To have this sort of pledge taken and to have the ring, would be something to always remind you to keep yourself pure for marriage."

Jenna Anderson, 24, from Pittsburgh said she took her pledge last year because it was something she "believed in".

"I believe that God created sex for the context of marriage," she said.

"The research has been done to show how many STDs are out there. So it's the safer choice.

"I think there are more people that are virgins than admit it. I think it's becoming more and more popular. I'm hoping that with this new generation, it will be extremely normal."

One Northern Ireland teenager who attended the roadshow said she would wait until she was married to have sex.

"You are obeying God's rules," she said. "As a young person, it is hard, but you have to stick by that. There's thousands of people doing it, so you're not alone."

'Safer sex'

However, critics say it is irresponsible to champion celibacy without giving information on how to have safe sex.

Research carried out in the US suggests 88% of those who sign up for the group go on to break their pledge.

Dr Audrey Simpson, director of the Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland, pointed to this research and said abstinence should be promoted as a positive choice for young people.

"Research has been carried out in America since this sort of programme has been running," she said.

"It shows that in communities where there are higher rates of pledges, those who are wearing the silver rings, that they have got higher rates of sexually transmitted infections because young people are not getting the information.

"Then, if 18 months down the line they don't follow the pledge, they go out and have sex,and they don't know about safer sex."