Purity rings (also known as chastity rings or abstinence rings or promise rings) are worn as a sign of chastity. The practice originated in the United States in the 1990s among Christian-affiliated sexual abstinence groups.[1] Wearing a purity ring is typically accompanied by a religious vow to practice abstinence until marriage.[2]
David Bario, a reporter in the Chicago Tribune, Rutland Herald, and several other news websites wrote:[3]
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.